Make it Better
by Becomingwhaturmeantobe
Summary: After the fight in L.A Angel and Spike head over to Rome to see Buffy. When they meet up with Buffy and the Gang they are soon transported to an Alternate Reality where they see the horrors of what could have happened if things had gone differently.
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Hey! This is my…third story that I have posted on (Hint review Hint) . This is a co-authored story. If you are on you might know her as Flamingsoul3. I am not sure if she has an account on Any way I won't bore you to death…I'll let you get on to the story. Just know that we really like reviews…its motivation! So please enjoy and review! Oh and back story will come in time…we like to keep you guessing!

"So what do we do? Do we just walk right up to the door and ask her to take us back?" Spike said to  
his grand-sire who was walking down the long hall with him. "Or do you want to just barge in like you always do?"

Angel, who had been in a sort of trance since they had got out of L.A., looked at Spike and shrugged, "I don't always barge in."

"Yeah right, dark avenger." said Spike who also added, "You want to be Buffy's white knight again."

Angel just stared at him, and kept walking. They were almost at the door. Thankfully, Spike had been blabbering on and on ever since they left LA. Ever since they left L.A…. Wow. It felt weird to think of L.A. in the past tense, well L.A. was still there. He didn't know about Wolfram and Hart Now though; he was going to start over, maybe with Buffy. Maybe she's not cookie dough, anymore. He just hoped that the Immortal wasn't eating cookies or cookie dough either, only he could do that. Though that thought made him both interested, and a little confused, at why he thought that in the first place.

"We're here" Spike said in a voice that sounded both excited and nervous. Angel took in a fake deep breath just to show that he cared. "I think it's every man for himself, whoever gets the girl first"

Angel looked at Spike in disgust. She'll never be with you. He wanted to say, but he knew that would only make Spike try harder, which was something he didn't want. So instead he said, "Let's just see if she's here, okay?" And he said, "Whatever" and was about to knock on the door and he stopped.

"Feel that?" he asked Angel in a confused tone.

"What?" Angel asked coming out of his trance, again.

But he had no time to listen to what the bleached blonde vampire had to say, because a feeling of danger went through him, a feeling he didn't get a lot. A feeling he hadn't needed to get since Sunnydale. Buffy was definitely home, along with others, most likely. And they, including himself and Spike, we're about be in danger.


	2. Set ups and Breakups

The Scoobies lounged on the couch, doing anything but lounging. They all drank coffee, tea being too calming at a time like this. Everyone was stressed out waiting to see what would happen next.

"Come on you can't hide in there forever," Dawn called out, "It couldn't have been _that _bad."

"It was horrible," A voice called out from the bathroom, "Never set me up again!"

"She was Megan's babysitter's boyfriend's sister." Dawn told him. "She's really nice…once you get to her."

Everyone stared at the bathroom door, waiting for a response. "Xander…" Buffy started then sighed, "Can you please come out?"

Xander groaned, "Why?"

"Cause." Willow said.

"Will, can you make me into a frog?" Xander pleaded.

"No, now come out." Willow said, "I have my resolve face on."

"Fine." The door opened and Xander walked out.

"Ahh, Xander. See even though your date went miserably you can still look great." Andrew said.

Xander glared at him. "All she talked about was how beautiful Rome is at night. And she groveled on and on over her past boyfriends…not many I might add."

Buffy shrugged, "It's not that bad," she pointed out.

"Oh yeah, well look at your love life." Xander replied.

Buffy nodded, "I did break up with the Immortal."

Xander smiled briefly and everyone but Buffy groaned, and handed him money.

"I called it, didn't I call it?" Xander asked happily.

Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them, "You did call it."

"You guys bet on my relationship?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"Well we just figured that we wanted to know how long it would last and no offense no one really liked the guy. And we were wondering how long it would take for you to brake it off."

"So you bet on it?" Buffy asked.

"Well yeah."

Buffy shook her head. "He was nice though…a little overpowering…he said I wasn't really into it."

Andrew shook his head sympathetically. "Cookie dough." He said.

"What?" Buffy asked him and his eyes widened. Then he shrugged and Dawn spoke up.

"How are the Slayer's in Africa?"

"We don't know…the language barrier is tough. Kennedy tried to explain the crossbow to this girl Azra…. interesting name…. and she ended up saying the cheese man will milk the cow on Tuesday."

Xander cleared his throat, Buffy raised her eyebrows and Giles scratched his chin. Dawn shrugged and Andrew burst out laughing, everyone looked at him. "Its just the idea of a cheese man is hysterical."

"Maybe there is some sort of spell that would help you with the language barrier." Giles told Willow.

Willow nodded. "Kennedy's working on that as we speak, she also said she wouldn't leave until she had the Japanese language memorized…I tried to explain to her that it would take more than a couple of hours and she responded with 'Damn, if I am strong enough to kill demons then why can't I say Hibachi right?"

Giles raised his eyebrows and Willow shrugged.

Then suddenly, very rudely, there was a knock on the door. Xander sighed and got up. "If its Megan's sisters whatever, I'm not here!"

"Xander…you're answering the door." Buffy replied.

"Then I'm a ghost."

"Just answer the door." Willow urged him gently.

Xander gave her a look and then opened the door, to see the two people who he wanted to see the least, then slammed shut.

"Who was it?" asked Andrew.

"Nobody, it was nobody." Xander replied quickly.

"Xander, who was it?" Buffy asked him.

"Nobody you need to see right now." Xander answered.

Buffy rolled her eyes and got up to answer the door. She gave Xander a let-me-open-it-or-I-will-personally-put-you-in-the-hospital-look.

He stepped aside and she opened it, and stood there blinking for a few minutes.

"You're not invited!" Xander said to Spike and Angel who stood there speechless also.

"Oh, that's ok." Andrew said walking up to the door, "They don't need an invite. They were here a few weeks ago."

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"What!" Everyone in the apartment exclaimed.

Sorry, we have to go out shopping...lol. We'll be back later. If you want more of this story please review, otherwise the updating process will be really slow. Sorry...reviews give us motivation : )


	3. Not in Kansas anymore

Another Reality

"The rain speaks to me," said the blond vampire sitting in the filthy street, "It says I'm a mummy again." She smiled at the words and clapped her hands. A malevolent giggle came out. "Where are you daughter?"

She looked around; the blood was all over her and in the street. It appeared like she and her daughter got there just in time for rush hour. Carcasses lay all over the place and the rain mixed with the blood, sending it into the sewers. No one dared come out and for that she smiled. People were afraid of her again, well actually more afraid of the other vampire that was with her but there was a lot of fear involved.

She heard a clatter coming from the alley and turned to see another blond vampire walking up to her. She smiled in acknowledgement. Blood dripped from her smirk, and she said, "He tried to fight. It was hopeless though." She laughed, and the expression on the other vampire's face changed.

"Do you know what the darkness is telling me?" The first vampire asked.

"Let me guess… good news?" The other vampire said, raising an eyebrow.

"No. It says that they're coming. Coming to make it better."

The other vampire knew that she was crazy, but also knew better than to ignore her warnings. "Who's coming?"

The first blond vamp ignored her and said, "Look at the mess we've made. We'd better go before they come."

"The white hats? Nah, I don't think they'll bother coming." She looked around at the blood and gore on the street. "There's no one left to save."

"Daddy would have liked this. But he is with them, a white hat." Her voiced quivered. "And he killed Spike, bad, bad Angel."

"Yeah, its too Bad Spike wasn't here to share in on the fun." The other one said not letting her 'partner in crime' know what really happened. "Come on Dru, I think I hear church bells."  
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The charred building of the Hyperion had seen a lot; demon fights, fist fights, fires and loss. It had seen a lot of loss. About two years ago two groups reunited. And the Hyperion saw it. As far as Reunions go this was not a happy one; it was quite depressing. Full of tears and even some fighting. Now the Hyperion was empty. For now… the troops would be back soon. They went out every night in search for something they wouldn't find. If walls could talk the Hyperion would probably share their tears. It had seen so many of them. So now the Hyperion would just going on seeing. It would stand by until another fire came or when the people in it got what they were looking for. It would probably be the first one. There was no way this could be a nightmare that they all bizarrely shared.

Giles entered the Hyperion first. He yawned and took off the worn leather bomber jacket he had found in the wreckage of a department store. Behind him Fred and Willow deep in discussion walked to the couch and sat down examining the bits of demon that were on there clothes. Then Xander came in, putting down the broad-sword he was carrying. He took an ancient sword from Gunn as he entered and then went up to his room.

"I thought he usually made jokes or something." Gunn said to Giles who shrugged.

"We all changed after what happened, but I guess he was the one who changed the most."

"Where'd he learn to fight like that?" Gunn said.  
"I think Angel and him have been training with Wesley."

"Oh. Ummm…has anyone seen Angel?" Gunn asked when everyone else arrived.

"He mumbled something about going out and then left, I think he thought he had a lead." Cordelia said.

"Oh okay but I don't think he'll find anything. Didn't the fang sisters leave down a couple nights ago?" Gunn went over and sat next to Fred who smiled slightly and then kissed him. They stopped when they heard sirens. Giles walked over to the t.v. and turned it on.

"The whole street down was bloody and people were screaming. Then the screaming stopped and I saw two blonde haired woman; they were smiling and bloody." Giles turned off the TV after the guy stopped talking. 

"Dru and Buffy are back." Angel announced coming down the steps into the Hyperion. 

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"Dru and Buffy are back." Angel told them all and Willow closed her eyes.

"Oh God." She heard Cordelia whisper.

Two years of this nightmare and she was still trying to wake up from it. She wished that they would just go away. It was hard to be in the same city with them more or less see them or fight them. It wasn't Drusilla she was afraid of but Buffy she was. Her dead best friend was one of the worst vampires, she made Angelus and Spike look nice. Spike. That was one monster she hoped she never had a thought of again. She took a deep breath and then stood up and went upstairs. No one tried to stop her, which was good. She was in another one of those moods. Dawn when she had been with them used to call it the grievy-mood. Now Dawn was with her father…hopefully. So much had changed in the last two years. It was a wonder that everyone was still sane.

When she got up to her room she lit three candles and sat on her bed. She tried to meditate but it didn't work. She couldn't get calm these days, it took everything she had just not to stake Angel and Xander when they fought.

Once again she took a deep breath but this time she started to cry after it. Her eyes flashed a shade of black that made her only cry harder. She collapsed on the bed. "Make it better….please come and Make it better." She cried over and over.

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Back to the regular Reality

"They were here and you didn't tell us?" Xander said to Andrew.

"Or me!" Buffy told him who started to back into the wall.

"I didn't mention it…because I'm really sure…" He trailed off at the look Buffy gave him.

"Well I guess I forgot to mention it but look at the lovely surprise." Andrew said indicating the two vampires at the door.

Buffy took a deep breath and motioned into the apartment. "Come in." she said to Angel and Spike.

They both stepped in at the same time and Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Where are you coming from?"

"The big fight in L.A…..apocalypse." Spike told her.

"What?" she said her eyes widening.

"L.A…fight…evil lawyers." Spike said trying to sum it up.

"Yeah I get that but, why didn't you call me!" Buffy said she turned to Angel. "I could've helped, you  
know."

"I didn't want to bother you." Angel said looking down at the floor.

"For a paper cut you don't bother me, for an apocalypse you do!" She exclaimed them went to sit down.

Everyone stared into space for a while when Willow took a deep breath. "Well this is overwhelming."

"I know…who would've thought that Angel and Spike would've shown up." Xander said.

"No I mean I'm picking up some kind of psychic signal in my head." Willow said.

Everyone looked up. "What?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know-." Willow began and then her eyes flashed black and she screamed. "Make it better." she said.

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a flash of light.

Then it was as if they were being sucked through some sort of portal.

Buffy's eyes were closed tightly. When she landed on the ground with a thud she opened them. She rubbed her eyes and saw the others all around her. She took a step forward and almost fell over something, she looked down to see a snoring Andrew. She shook head and walked toward where Giles, Willow, Angel, Spike, Xander, and Dawn were huddling. She looked up and down the street. They were in L.A. Well…it looked like L.A. if you looked past the blood and gore on the streets.

"Hey Deadboy didn't you say you and Spike just came from apocalyptic L.A.?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, but it wasn't like this…we fought in an alleyway."

"Oh."

A large crash came from one of the buildings and Buffy turned to see that a sign that said something about L.A. on it fell down. How Ironic…

"Ok Toto I guess we are definitely not in Kansas anymore." Xander remarked.


	4. Happy Birthday, now get a vision

A/N: Ok...before you read this I just want to let you know that this is a very very long chapter. Well obviously you can see that. It took a while too, but we had to make it long because we had to get the point across and we had to show some back story...I like this chapter...hopefully you will too. Oh and there is some "borrowed" dialogue from Innocence and a conversation is similar to that of a covo. in the gift when you read it you'll know what I mean...hopefully. So read, review, enjoy.

Alternate Reality- Scoobies from original reality

"_Ok Toto we are definitely not in Kansas anymore." Xander said. _

The words echoed and everyone looked around. Andrew, who had just woken up, came over muttering something about this being one hell of a dream. "I don't think this is a dream." Dawn said looking around at the debris and blood.

Before anyone could answer her there was an interruption. "Can anyone tell me why I'm here?" A voice said a few feet from where the group was standing. They turned to see a disheveled Wesley.

And then another interruption. "English, that you?" A voice asked from the shadows.

"Gunn? Wes? What are you doing here?" Angel asked looking at the ex-watcher and the ex-demon hunter.

"Well, I was just about to ask you that. I thought I was in heaven with-." Wesley stopped talking as he stared off at someone on the other side of the group. "Fred?"

Angel whipped around to see Fred standing there, looking very confused.

"Wesley?" she asked and walked over to him. They went off in the corner, not really minding that they had no idea where they were.

"Ok, anyone want to explain to me what's going on here?" Xander asked looking from one confused face to the next.

"I don't think we are in the L.A. in our reality." Willow said.

"Oh really, Will. I thought you were smart." Xander said sarcastically.

"Ok, well that's a wonderful start. But last time I checked Wesley was dead and so was Fred and I was lying in a hospital with a major stab wound." Gunn said.

"Yeah well we haven't really worked that part out yet." Willow said, "But you're not stabbed and they're not dead."

"Willow, what was that you said before we came here?" Giles asked.

"Ummmm…..oh! Make it Better."

"What's so special with that?" Xander asked.

"It brought us here." Buffy said.

"What? A saying brought us here, so I can say Victoria's Secret and it will, poof, I'll be there? Or do I have to say-." He was cut off by a building's window off to his left shattering.

A rock came flying down toward them and landed right in front of Buffy she picked it up and read the note on it.

_You better get off the street. The monsters will be back. Go! Save yourselves._

"Uhh….Thanks." Buffy said then motioned everyone to come.

Alternate Reality- Not original reality people

The Blonde haired woman closed the curtains and turned off the lights. She was glad she could send a message to them, to help them. So the witch did it…..Good for her. Hopefully the world would be better now. She just hoped that they survived in this world long enough to, "Make it Better." She also hoped the Angel of this world would get over it long enough for this world to move on. Angel didn't realize it but he being all broody all the time probably was why everyone around him was. She sighed. She didn't realize how much the world would be affected by the fact that she turned a man named Liam all those years ago. She just hoped the powers were right and the slayer and her friends could turn it all around.

Alternate Reality- The Scoobies and Fang Gang of this reality

After Willow had finished whatever she had done, she went downstairs where Fred was pinning things down on a map. "They were last spotted here, so that means they either went here, or here." Fred told Angel, Wesley, Giles, Gunn, Xander and Cordelia.

"Why not just go here." Gunn said pointing to a street that was known for its busyness.

"I don't know, maybe Drusilla got a vision." Fred said with a shrug and then returned back to the map.

"What are we doing?" Willow asked.

"I got a vision." Cordelia told her. "It was vague but I'm pretty sure I saw Buffy."

"Oh." Willow said taking a deep breath. "So we're going to go out and patrol?"

"Well…not all of us. It's still too dangerous and well…" Fred said. Willow knew that Fred had meant to say that everyone was scared. Buffy had never really targeted Fred or Gunn or Wesley but everyone knew enough to stay away from her.

"Yeah ok, who's going this time?"

"Well…Willow we could use you're assistance with the magicks and well Gunn and Xander and Angel." Giles said and turned to Angel, "Can I stay here?"

"Yes." Angel nodded to everyone and went to go get weapons.

"Lets go." He told them.

"Happy Birthday!" Drusilla said and turned took a step aside to show Buffy a handsome man. It had been two years that Buffy had been a vampire.

Buffy, who had had her eyes closed, opened them. She smiled slyly at Dru. "Dru you always get the best gifts! Is he a psychic?"

"Oh poo you guessed it!" Drusilla pouted, and then smiled. "I see a bright future with his power."

"Oh really?" Buffy asked then studied him more closely.

"Blow out the candles! Blow out the candles!" Drusilla exclaimed.

"Ok." Buffy bit down on the guy's neck and drank. She felt his blood flow through her. What power! She was almost done draining him when her vision blurred. Her grip on him loosened and she let go, her hands shook. She felt a huge force of power come down on her and then a blurry picture came before her.

_First it was of herself. With a group of people. She growled it was the white hats. Then she saw Spike and a weird feeling came over her. Mixed emotion, perhaps? But, wait Spike was dead…whatever. She than saw Angel and a part of her felt a great love for him and a great hate. Her head snapped up as she realized that she was not only feeling her emotions but another's also. There was another Buffy. The vision changed and she saw a fight, the other Buffy was in it too. Then she snapped out of the vision just as she got a glimpse of Willow sending out a SOS to "Make it Better." _

"Oh Shit." She said as she got up. She turned to Drusilla. "You were right; they are coming to make it better."

Drusilla smirked as Buffy sat down and rubbed her temples. Then she stood up. "I'm going out."

Buffy punched the demon. "How come I have the worst luck on my Birthdays!" she said. "I mean it's not even my real Birthday!"

"Aren't you a vampire?" The demon asked. Buffy turned to it as if just noticing it was there.

"Yeah, but I still got a little slayer in me. This means kicking ass still equals comfort food." Buffy retorted. Before the demon could answer she killed it and walked away. The streets in L.A. were always empty these days…people were really afraid of her. Oh well.

Two years ago she was turned. She raised her eyebrows that meant that two years ago she was human. She fiddled with the stake in her hand and then put it in her pocket. She sat down on the curb and waited, this was the place she saw in her vision. She closed her eyes, as she waited, she remembered.

"_One of us might not make it." She told Angel outside the crypt that Spike was holding Dawn in. "I'm counting on you to protect her, get her out of town along with the others."_

_Angel looked at her grim expression and his own changed. He narrowed his eyes. "We're both going to-."_

"_I'm just saying." Buffy said and his face softened. She rushed forward and kissed him, quick but passionate and the kiss grew but Buffy pulled away and stared into his eyes. "I love you." she said quickly and then gripped her weapons bag and took a deep breath and rushed forward._

Buffy almost laughed. She knew that she was going to die, she knew it! No wonder. The bastard thought she was going to live, it probably would've been easier if she told him. He had even tried to save her, but she had screamed at him to get out. He did, he probably thought she got out too because then he set the crypt on fire.

"_Buffy!" Angel screamed. _

"_Go!" she screamed back and continued to fight with Spike. They fought in the crypt but then Buffy threw Spike through the crypt window. They both turned when they both smelt smoke and saw that the crypt was on fire. Taking the moment of distraction as an advantage the vampire grabbed Buffy's arm and twisted it behind her back. Her smiled and broke her arm and she gasped letting the tears from pain fall down her cheeks. She tried to move but he pulled on her arm and twisted it, breaking her all the other bones in her arm. _

"_Should we play?" He asked her as her stroked her face from behind._

_Gritting her teeth she moved her broken arm as a distraction and then slowly brought her arm up and got ready to elbow him when he caught it._

"_Bad idea, Slayer." He said. Then he leaned forward and bit her. She gasped as she felt her blood being drained and felt tears fall down her cheeks as she realized this was it. This was how she died. Spike let her body drop, and she fell to the floor. Her life flashed before her eyes. She was little and her mom and dad were coming home with Dawn, her first kiss. Merrick, her first watcher telling her she was the slayer, her first day in Sunnydale, meeting Angel, sleeping with Angel, killing Angel, graduation, her mom dying and now. Her head snapped up and without questioning how it got there she gripped the stake tightly and held it. Spike came closer and kissed her lightly on the cheek, and then he whispered in her ear. "See love, you have a death wish. Now you're beneath me."_

_Buffy raised the stake and with the last ounce of strength she could muster staked him. With a surprised look on his face he turned to dust. Buffy whimpered in pain and closed her eyes, whispering. "Angel."_

_The next time she woke after that Drusilla was looming over her muttering something about being a "Mummy again." She was lying on a table and wore some tacky black dress. She remembered the first thing she did was say "Angel." Of course Dru was over the cuckoos nest and all the way past morning to notice a goddamn thing. She got up and decked Dru and then ran. It took her a while to realize that she was no longer in Sunnydale anymore. She was in L.A. Buffy knew that she was dead. Everything was still fuzzy but she remembered bits and pieces and she knew she'd remember more later. She walked down a street something drawing her there. She realized it was a scent that was drawing her down the street, and when she got to the Hyperion hotel she knew what she had smelt was her friends and others and Angel. _

_She walked closer and found herself staring at Willow, Xander, Cordelia, Giles, Wesley, Angel and a couple others._

_Her vampiric hearing helped her hear what they were saying. "Did she…get out?" Willow asked Angel who looked as broody as ever. _

_He rubbed his face and then looked up as if just realizing what she asked. "I don't think so."_

_Xander inhaled sharply and Anya next to him looking grim. "That's not good enough!" He shouted._

_Buffy saw Angel wince slightly. "I tri-." He stopped and then just closed his eyes._

"_Do we know if Spike is still alive?" Giles asked._

"_No." Willow said. _

_Anya let out a deep breath. "So Buffy's dead, Spike…Spike killed her."_

"_We don't know that, Anya." Xander said, trying to be patient. _

"_But that's what everyone's thinking, they're not saying it but they're thinking it." Anya told him._

"_What happened, again Angel?" Giles asked. He was sitting on the couch and everyone was gathered around him. It was like old days, Buffy thought. _

"_Buffy and I went into the crypt. Drusilla was there but she left. I got Dawn and Buffy went to fight Spike. She told me to go but I stayed, Dawn was ok. I don't know if Buffy got out but I set the crypt on fire…it was part of the plan. Then I left."_

"_You set it on fire! Buffy could've been in there, she -." Xander said but was cut off by Giles of all people saying:_

"_Xander, he and Buffy planned that. She would have known to get out."_

"_So we have no idea where Buffy is, and if she's alive." Cordelia asked. _

"_Pretty much, I just wish-." Xander started just as Buffy walked through. He stopped. Buffy felt his heart speed up. _

"_Uhh…" he said. Everyone turned to see what he was staring at. Angel stood up straight. "Buffy?"_

_She was still a little stunned, dying, being turned, it was all very confusing. But somehow she managed to get in touch with her newly unleashed evil. It's just a part of her yearned not to be, well…evil. She wished she could be in Angel's arms. She pushed that aside and stood straighter, more confident, knowing that she could push away the last part of the old Buffy. _

_Giles got up and walked up to her. She almost laughed at the fact that they didn't know yet. "Are you hurt?" Giles asked her._

"_Not really." she said with a smile._

"_Well, good! Then, where's Spike? You killed him? That's great, Dawn's at the airport, your Dad said he'd take her for a while and we thought that's what you'd want…but we could call him-."_

_He stopped as Angel said. "Xander."_

"_What?" _

"_It's not Buffy."_

"_What do you mean? Look its Buffy; I mean what else could she be?"_

"_It's a vampire." Angel said. "Get back." He said to the others._

"_What? How?" Xander asked, his voice getting panicked and his eyes glued to Buffy. "Buff, tell him he's wrong. You're not a vampire, you're alive, you killed Spike and got out and you're alive…right?"_

"_Nope," she replied, shrugging as if nothing happened. Xander stared at her with a look of disbelief on his face and Angel took a step toward her. Buffy took a step back, then suddenly charged at him. Everyone else stepped off to the side. _

"_You know what the worst part was? Pretending that I loved you. I really am glad that you left." Buffy told Angel, and he stared at her for a moment. _

"_Are the words similar, Angel? Do they sound familiar?" Buffy sneered._

_She threw a punch at him and he stepped off to the side. He nodded, he did remember. "That doesn't work anymore, you're not Buffy."_

"_Oh really? That's funny because I look like her don't I? And I feel like her too except well I really hate the lovey-dovey crap. I mean come on what was she thinking? I would have staked you ages ago…maybe I'll get the chance." She looked at a stake on the floor and lunged forward, Angel got it first._

_He looked like he was about to do it, too. If he hadn't stopped and stared at Buffy he would have succeeded. She smiled. "You can't do it. You can't kill me."_

_He punched her and she fell back but got up. She stayed there for a couple of minutes staring at Angel._

_His expression changed, he looked sad instead of the look of surprise and anger he had on before. "Give me time." He told her._

_She walked out. Stopping at the door. "I'll be back." She told everyone and then exited._

_After that everything was different. She spied on her friends all the time. Especially Angel. He didn't really show it around everyone else but he was grieving, seriously. Well, duh, it made sense…after the love of your life kisses you like that and then she dies, that was enough to send anyone over the cuckoos nest. She saw a lot too. Not being there, she saw more then she would have if she was actually there. She saw the fights between Xander and Angel, she saw Giles down a whole bottle of whiskey and almost got himself killed, and Xander stopped him. Wesley, who changed a lot, was teaching Xander some moves that Buffy would have never expected him to know. Cordelia was getting visions 24/7. Willow was learning more spells, Anya was getting in touch with old "friends" to get info. Fred and Gunn were all snuggly. Drusilla was teaching Buffy about being a vampire which was just weird. Everything changed. Except Angel, she had started to look into spells that would turn Angel but no such luck. She was still trying to work through Willow's spells of protection over the Hyperion. _

Now she sat there just waiting; for the vision that she saw to come true. There was another Buffy in L.A. and she had come to make it better. Great, that was the last thing she needed. Well, actually it had its ups and downs. There could be another her as a vampire. Eww…she could end up turning herself. That would be disturbing. And cool.

Scoobies and Fang Gang of this reality

Angel, Gunn, Willow, and Xander walked through L.A surveying the damage Buffy and Drusilla had done. Cordelia had skipped the trip but gave Angel directions to where the vision took place.

"So was it down this street or the next?" Gunn asked. "Because the way I'm looking at it…they all look the same."

"Well she said Buffy would be here…so I guess that was the way we tell them a part." Willow told them.

"I vote we split up…lot of ground to cover." Gunn said dropping his axe.

"Good idea." Xander said.

"I'll go with Gunn." Willow volunteered ignoring the look on Xander's face.

"Whatever." Xander said then looked at Angel and nodded toward a street. Angel nodded and the two of them set off.

"I'll send you a message…when we're done so we could catch up or I'll contact you if we find anything." Willow told the two men walking away from her.

"Yeah…sure" Xander called out.

"Look, I really don't know what we're up against so-."

"So you're telling me to watch out and stay away when we fight? I don't think so." Xander said.

Angel stared at him for a moment, he couldn't believe that Xander had once been a high school student who had no idea how to fight. Now Xander Harris was actually a pretty damn good fighter. After learning how to fight with Wesley and Angel, Xander had begun to go out more on patrol. Now Xander had the confidence to fight with Angel, it wasn't a high school student trying to piss off a 200-and change year old vampire, it was a man trying to piss off who he believed killed his best friend. Xander never really said it to Angel's face but Angel knew it. Xander blamed everything on him.

"You know what? Forget it ok…I really don't want to go into this right now, not when…not when she's about to come out. So let's just drop it…I'm too tired." Xander said and peered through the darkness that was L.A.'s downtown.

"Yeah, ok." Angel said and started looking around, he stopped. "Do you…" he was about to ask Xander but stopped.

"Do I what?" Xander asked and then stopped right when he was about to say something else, but Angel put up a hand.

"Someone's here." he told Xander.

"Who?" Xander whispered.

"I don't know just someone…follow me." Angel said and turned down another street.

Other world Scoobies

"Uhh…what was that about?" Dawn asked.

"Ahh…some good citizenship I guess." Buffy answered as they continued to walk down the bloody street.

"I think we should go to Wolfram and Hart." Spike said randomly.

"What do you mean?" Fred, who was side by side with Wesley, asked

"I mean, I bet those bloody lawyers did this to us, sent us here."

"I don't think so…I think it had something to do with the fact that I said the words, 'Make it Better.'" Willow told him and stopped, and then everyone else did also.

They all seemed to stop and think, Giles took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, Dawn kicked an empty bottle can down into the sewer, Xander just stood there, Gunn seemed to be staring at Wesley and Fred, Andrew looked like he was going to fall asleep on the spot, Willow seemed to mutter spells, Buffy had her arms folded and seemed to be thinking and Angel just stared at her. Oh, and Spike did also.

"I have a feeling we should split up." Willow announced.

"I don't think that's such a good idea…I mean we don't know this place that well and we could get lost and…" Fred started to say but trailed off. She shrugged and seemed to move closer to Wesley.

Everyone split into groups. Willow, Giles, Xander, Dawn and Andrew in one group. Wesley, Fred, Gunn and a reluctant Spike. Buffy and Angel went in there own group (which made eyes roll all around).

They all promised to meet at the Hyperion…everyone knew where that was. Wesley's group because they had all worked there. Angel and Buffy because well Angel had worked and lived there and Willow's group because well Willow went there to tell Angel that Buffy had died. So when everyone got settled they set off, Spike kept looking over his shoulder at Buffy and Angel and growled when he, "thought," he saw Angel smile at him.

"Ok…so what exactly are we looking for?" Dawn asked.

"Answers." Willow told her.

"Oh yeah." Dawn said.

"So where do we go exactly?" Dawn asked.

"Probably nowhere. We just walk around." Xander answered. It was as if they were going in circles only Xander knew they weren't it was just how bloody the streets were and how nothing was open. Everything was closed and everything was the same. It was weird and he couldn't believe that he was in another world but with everything that he had seen in the past seven years he couldn't deny anything.

"So do you think we'll get to see our doppelgangers?" Andrew asked as he snapped out of his I-just-want-to-sleep mood.

"Possibly, but I think it would be best if we learned about the world before we go and seek our selves…we could startle them." Giles said and Willow nodded.

"Yeah…it would be a bad idea to go search for them before we got to know about what's happened. I mean, this could be a world were we don't even exist." Willow pointed out.

"Yeah, but a world where demons exist, we exist." Xander pointed out.

"How do you know there are demons here, this mess could be made by man." Giles said indicating the street around him.

"Demon behind you." Xander told the other four who turned. It was a demon about the size of Spike and he had three scales on his back. The demon looked more surprised then the five of them and ran when he saw them.

"Umm…that was interesting." Dawn said as they turned around and headed the other way.

"I still think we should go to Wolfram and Hart." Spike said as Gunn, Wes, and Fred walked down a street where the sign fell off but the post was still there. That was better than the rest of the streets though, because the other ones seemed to have no post at all.

"Can we shut him up already and just go?" Gunn said to the Wesley and Fred who were deep in conversation.

"Sure." Fred said, not taking her eyes off Wesley.

"Good, now let's go…that way." Spike said pointing randomly down a side street.

"How do you know that's the way to Wolfram and Hart?" Gunn asked skeptically.

"I don't, just follow me." Spike said and Gunn rolled his eyes.

"I think we should get you a leash." He muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!" Spike growled.

"I know." Gunn shot back.

After a couple of minutes, surprisingly, they ended up in front of Wolfram and Hart.

"I can't believe it." Gunn said staring at it.

"I told you I'd get you here." Spike said proudly.

"No, I mean look at the building." Gunn said.

Spike looked and his eyes widened. "Bloody Hell."

"It's a-a-."

"Mall." a voice said behind them.

They all turned, even Wesley and Fred. "Cordelia?"

Angel and Buffy walked down the streets. Was it a miracle that they came here? Or an omen? Angel reached out and entwined his hand in hers and a slight smile crossed her lips.

"Why did you come to Rome?" Buffy asked.

"I wanted to get back together with you." He said honestly and she drew in a long breath.

"I broke up with the Immortal…I don't even know why I was with him. He was sweet, I guess and…"

"It's ok…you were…lonely." Angel managed to choke out and Buffy laughed.

"Are you jealous?" Buffy asked.

"Me...No…why…yes." Angel stammered and Buffy laughed again.

Buffy stopped and turned to him. "I love you, you know that right? I mean…things have been confusing and well-."

He stopped her in mid sentence and pulled her toward him and their lips met and they shared a passionate kiss. They pulled away, both smiling. "I love you too." Angel told her.

They continued to walk and went past an Irish gift shop which had a huge Claddagh ring painted on the window, past a shop called "New Beginnings" and past a wedding dress shop that sold only wedding dresses and tuxes.

They heard a noise coming from an alley down the street and they turned to look at each other and ran. They got to the alley and it split off into two. "You go that way, I go this way?" Buffy asked and Angel nodded. She went off to the right and he to the left.

Buffy tip toed down the alley, realizing as soon as she got there that she had entered the alley where the noise had come from. When she got to the mouth of the alley she waited and listened. She heard mumbling, one person most likely. The person had a sing song voice and it took Buffy all but about tow seconds to figure out who it was, she didn't even need to see the person. It was Drusilla, and sure enough the blonde… (Huh?) Haired vampire was dancing in the street, a corpse on the ground.

She stepped into the light and Drusilla turned. "Buffy," she crooned.

"Huh?" Buffy asked, raising her eyebrows at the psychotic vampire.

Dru stepped back as if she'd been slapped. She touched her head and whimpered. "You stole the sight of her, now it's all confusing; you came to make it better."

"Yeah, what's all that make it better stuff about? Is that the name of this world…or is that your motto?" Buffy asked looking around for a weapon.

Drusilla then launched herself at Buffy, Buffy tried to step away but Drusilla was too fast and she grabbed the slayer. "I will have two daughters, now." she said and smiled and Buffy pushed her away. Drusilla still grabbed on to her arm though.

"Ok, can you save your psychobabble for the next person…maybe your dolls, because I have to go meet my friends." Buffy said, trying to pull away.

"Not yet…I have to tell you the secret." Dru said.

"Oh joy…." Buffy said and continued to attempt to maneuver away from the vampire.

This world Scoobies

"Are we there yet?" Xander complained after Angel had dragged him all around downtown L.A.

"Yes, it's just I'm picking up different scents, their familiar but different." Angel said stopping in an alley.

"Great, good for you, I thought we were looking for-." Xander was stopped once again by Angel putting up his hand.

Angel went to the right, out of the two ways the alley split, and walked slowly down toward the entrance to that side. He stopped every few seconds to listen, but didn't get that much. It wasn't until they were close to the entrance that they saw and heard something.

"It's Drusilla." Angel whispered. "And a woman, I can't really get a good look at her; I only see that she's struggling to get away from Drusilla."

"Great, so what's the plan? We charge in or wait until Buffy comes?" Xander asked hefting his weapon.

"We charge." Angel told him. They ran up toward Drusilla and the other women, pausing to hide and wait to see where they could come in from.

Angel turned to Xander. "You get the girl, I get Drusilla."

"No." Xander told him and Angel gave him an annoyed look.

"Look, we don't have time to argue, I made Dru a monster I know what she's going to do, and I trained her." Angel told him.

"Exactly." Xander said and shook his head. "You have a connection, I don't, and the only thing I have that's connected is that it helped kill my best friend."

Angel turned away from Xander, and Xander sighed. "Let's just get the girl out."

"Yeah." Angel nodded. They started moving again.

Buffy POV- From Non alternate Reality

Buffy through a punch to the vampire, but she caught it. So much for thinking the vampires were weaker in this reality…She tried every move she knew to try to get out of the vampire's grasp, but so far nothing worked. "Damn." she said after trying and failing to kick Dru.

"Ok, look if you let me go…I won't kill you…ok? That good?" Buffy reasoned. She hoped Angel would realize that his alley was not the alley with the trouble in it, and come to her rescue…or at least create a distraction. It wasn't that this was hurting her it's that it's freaky and boring. She had better things to do then to be held captive by a psycho-vamp.

Then out the corner of her eye, she saw it. Yay! A distraction. Two figures were coming toward her and Dru, with weapons! Oh, thank God! She waited, and pretended not to see anything as the two figures came closer. Who were they? Oh well, they were going to save her from Drusilla, they had to be pretty brave people, or pretty stupid.

Then a familiar voice called out. "Drusilla!"

Dru dropped her and Buffy got ready to fight when she realized that Dru had not even bothered with her. Ok…well that was simple. Then she was grabbed by the arm again and pulled away.

"Are you alright Miss?" A voice asked behind her. She didn't turn around at first but when another voice asked the same question she turned around about to ask why was he calling her Miss?

"That's funny-." she turned around and stopped when she saw Angel and Xander looking at her. For a second both their faces were blank, but then they wore looks of shock. She was about to ask Xander where the others wore when she realized that he looked different, Angel did too. Xander let go off her arm and she took a step back. "What the hell?" Xander said.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at them. "Who are you?" She and Xander said at the same time.


	5. Mislead

**A/N:I know I haven't updated in a while but here's an update! Please review! Thanks to all of those who do, you guys are the best!**

**Chapter Five: Mislead**

"What the fuck is this?" Xander sneered, his face was red and he looked pissed. He stared at Buffy and then looked to Angel who looked sad, angry, and curious.

Buffy knew that they didn't know she was from an alternate universe, or that she wasn't evil She was shocked to see Xander and Angel working together, even if it was an alternate universe. Even though she knew who they were, she couldn't help wondering more about them, they might even be evil and still she couldn't stop herself from asking, "Who are you?" The question hung in the air, and it wasn't answered. Until Xander started shaking, literally shaking with anger, and he spit out a bunch of curse words that would make rappers envious.

"Who am I? Who the hell are you?" Xander fumed.

"I'm Buffy-."

"No your not." Xander interrupted. He looked at Angel. "Is she the first?"

Angel looked at Xander. "I don't think so."

Buffy laughed and reached out to touch Xander but he stepped out of the way. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Oh yeah? You already hurt us enough, just leave before I kill you." Xander said.

"Look, I'm Buffy. I'm just not your Buffy. I can prove it." Buffy told them.

"Oh really? Lets see-." Xander stopped as Buffy raised her hand.

"Ok…In Sunnydale I died, but you brought me back and one of the only times you two have ever worked together is when Cordelia and I got stuck in the frat house and that big snake was going to eat us. Oh, for Halloween Xander, Willow and I all turned into our costumes. I was an 18-century girl, Xander a soldier and Willow a ghost. We stopped Adam by joining together, Giles, Willow, and Xander and once again me. I got mind-reading powers by my blood mixing with some demon. Willow and I were going to be burned at the stake because our parents "moo" were seeing dead kids or demons. We all had weird dreams featuring the cheese man because we taped into the power of the first slayer! And…do I need to go on more or do you believe me now?"

Xander dropped his weapon and then stared at her neck for a moment, where a cross hung loosely on a chain, and then he hugged her. "Oh God Buffy, is it really you?"

"Yeah, it is." She said and then wondered what had gone wrong in this world that would have led them to believe that she was the first, obviously she was dead, but what else? After Xander stepped back Angel rushed forward to hug her. Then he also stepped back and Buffy thought she saw him smiling slightly. She was about to say something when she heard someone in back of her and then heard her name being called out.

"Buffy?"

"Cordelia?"

"Yeah, but not your Cordelia. I'm the Cordelia from this dimension. I know about your mission here, what you're here to do, because I got a lovely visit from the Cordelia of your dimension. You know I always wondered how it would be if that asshole didn't-." Cordelia stopped her talking as she stared, her eyes widened, at Spike who she had not noticed. "Your…evil." She told him.

"No, got a soul now." He told her.

She took a deep breath. Then she looked up to the sky. "You didn't mention this!" she said almost to herself.

"Whatever, I think we should go, meet up with the others. No one else knows you're here…yet. They will soon though." She started walking away from the mall. "Oh and that's a really evil mall. Its really weird though…next to it's a church!"

"So…you know about us?" Fred asked.

Cordelia shook her head. "Not all of it, I want to hear it though. Should be interesting." She started walking again. Giving Spike a weary look she said, "Oh and when we get to the hotel, you probably don't want to let Spike in."

"Why?" Gunn asked.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Maybe were demons in this world." Andrew said. They all continued to walk down the street. The more they walked the more disgusted they became. They had seen more corpses in the last hour or so then Xander had seen in his life. He kept on having the thought that he was in one of those horror movies where there is only a group of people alive. He kept on adjusting his eye patch because it made him think of a character he had seen in a movie like that a while ago.

"Do we get a barf bag for this trip?" Dawn asked, grimacing at the sight of a rotting body on the floor.

"Sorry, Dawnie." Willow said pulling the teenager away from the sight.

"That's ok…. I'll live." Dawn replied. Then laughed nervously as she saw a demon impaled on a sword.

"So how do you think we should find things out?" Willow asked.

"Well, what's there to find out? We know that this is a bloody gory world and it's probably not safe and we should go home where it is… for now." Xander said.

"That's true. But I believe that we are here for a purpose." Giles told them.

"Is that purpose punishment?" Xander asked.

"No. I just think that we are here to…to make it better." Giles said.

"And then what? I mean what do we get out of it?" Andrew whined.

"I honestly don't know." Giles answered.

There was a silence for a couple of minutes as they kept walking until Andrew said he was hungry and then Willow spoke. "I think we should meet up with Spike, Gunn, Fred and Wesley."

"Why?" Xander asked.

"A hunch." Willow told him.

Xander nodded. Then paused. "Ok…but which way to Wolfram and Hart?"

"Not Wolfram and Hart, the Hyperion." Willow said and pointed across the street to the hotel building.

Buffy let out a sigh of relief. "Angel." She murmured turning away from Xander and Angel and walking toward her Angel.

"Are you-who's this?" Angel asked gesturing toward Xander and his doppelganger.

"I believe this is the Xander of this world and the Angel of this world." She told him as his eyes widened as he saw himself.

"Great." Xander muttered. "Two Angels."

"This is-." Angel started.

"Awkward?" Buffy finished.

"Yeah."

Just then Angel and Xander's heads snapped up and they both said, "Ok."

Angel and Xander looked at each other. "Should we take them to the hyperion?"

"Yeah." Xander said nodding.

"Wow." Fred said as she looked at the Hyperion.

"Yeah, it's different in your reality right?" Cordelia asked as they started walking to the door.

"Well, I think its just we haven't seen it in a while. We work…worked for-." Wesley didn't get to finish speaking because Cordelia jumped in front before Spike could walk in.

"What?" Spike asked trying to maneuver his way around her.

"Like I said before. It's not a good idea for you to be going in there." Cordelia said moving in front of him as he tried to get past her.

"Why?" Spike asked.

"Because as soon as you walked in there you'd be dead." Cordelia answered truthfully staring at him and not blinking once.

"Whatever…I'm going to find Buffy and the poof." He said and turned around and walked away.

Cordelia's eyes widened. "Buffy's not dead?" she whispered.

"Are you sure this is the way to the Hyperion?" Angel asked as he walked beside Buffy.

"We have to do a quick sweep of the downtown area and then we'll be on our way." Xander said and stared straight ahead.

Angel and Xander led them into an alleyway and Xander motioned for them to stop. Then he opened a door and stepped back. He turned to face Angel and Buffy. "Usually there are nests of vamps in here."

Buffy took a step forward and surveyed the area. She looked back toward Xander. "Looks clean to me, maybe they cleared out."

Angel stepped up beside her and looked around. She looked at him and she shrugged. "Xand I really don't think any-."Buffy was pushed forward and the next thing she knew she was falling and then with a thud landed hard on what could only be concrete.

Buffy put a hand up to her head as she tried to see clearly again and shake the dizziness that hit her.

"What-."

"We're warning you. Stop. Next time we'll stake you. You probably won't recover though. And stop trying to impersonate us, its getting old." Xander said in a voice thick with hate.

"Oh and _Buffy_ stop pretending you're her. Next time you come close you'll wish you never even attempted." Angel seethed next to Xander. Xander fired a crossbow a couple times that caught her twice and sprayed holy water all over the door, which would have been two high to reach anyway.

"Goodbye." Xander said and shut the door.

Buffy tried to stand up but the dizziness hadn't stopped and she had crossbows sticking out of her in various places. _When did Xander become so good at firing a crossbow?_ She thought and then realized she probably had a concussion. _The people in this world are so nice, _she thought before she passed out.


	6. Survived By

**Two years Ago**

A group of people gathered in the dark. They all held candles that cast a shadow on everyone's faces. One of them murmured words barely above a whisper. When she was done she looked up at the rest of them and tears were streaming down her face.

"This is what she'd want." The woman said wiping the tears away.

"Yes." Someone answered.

The group huddled around an open grave. A casket, waiting to be lowered into the ground, was above it. Pictures, clothes, a book, a movie, a stake, a cross, holy water, and a stuffed pig, among other things were in the casket. They were burying anything that Buffy had once loved, since they couldn't bury anything else like a body they figured this more appropriate.

Willow had just done a protection spell for the ground a spell that would protect Buffy's soul, which would let it find peace. Giles, Willow. Xander, Angel, Cordelia, Gunn, and Wesley all held candles.

They all closed their eyes as Willow murmured more spells and blessings. No one spoke, they just said whatever they had to say in their thoughts. It was more personal that way. Then as one was finished a candle was blown out and then another until all the candles were blown out. Everyone placed their candles on the ground and then watched as the casket was lowered into the ground. Tears dropped to the ground as the friends huddled to say goodbye in any way they could. Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley put a rose on the ground and then walked off leaving Giles, Xander, Willow and Angel alone.

"We won't let that thing go around any longer, Buffy I promise." Giles said silently and the other three nodded.

Willow wiped away the tears from her eyes. "We love you Buffy. We'll miss you." With that she took Xander's hand, who was silent throughout the whole thing, and both of them placed a rose on the grave. Giles walked up and murmured something silently and put a rose on the grave and walked off with Willow and Xander.

Angel stood beside the grave like Buffy had when her Mother had died. He put a rose on the grave and took a moment. It wasn't a real goodbye, yet. But soon he would kill the thing that was once her and finally give Buffy her rest. She wouldn't want that thing around. He would kill it for her. He kissed took Buffy's claddagh ring out of his pocket. He would keep it until he could really say goodbye. He then walked away before tears could fall.

**Our world's Angel and Buffy**

For the second time since arriving to this other world or universe or whatever you want to call it Angel had been knocked unconscious again. And not for the first time wished he hadn't. Before he passed out he saw Buffy fall to the ground and hoped she was ok. Now he was panicked, trying to open his eyes but only seeing black spots from the pain of the one or two arrows in him.

_I shouldn't have trusted them, they could have been vampires or I- no my alter-self could have been Angelus. _He thought but decided against it, he couldn't really have known, especially with Xander's heart beating.

He then opened his eyes, ignoring the pain, and looked at his surroundings. He gritted his teeth as he moved Xander got him good. Why were he and Xander working together in the first place? He shook his head; even in an alternate universe there was nothing normal with himself and Xander working together. And what with the trap, were they evil in this dimension? Was it normal for other Buffy's and Angel's to show up in this world? He snapped out of his reverie and surveyed the room. It was dark, damp, most likely a sewer and there was no way out unless you traveled through the way they came.

He turned around and checked on Buffy. It was worse than he thought. He crawled over to her. She was breathing, slowly though. She had two arrows in her. She had one in her side, and one in her shoulder.

"Buffy?" he whispered gently, brushing the hair out of her face. He knew she probably hurt her head, he didn't know how bad it was but he could take a guess and say really bad. He decided against moving her. He jumped up to the top where they had dropped in. He brushed up against the door and brought his hand down in pain, they had put holy water around it. Damn. He jumped up again banging on the door. Nothing happened and all he got was another hurt hand. He growled and did it again but this time pushed. He fell back in exhaustion after about five more times. Blood fell down hid arm where he had been hit with the arrow the wound had reopened. The arrow in his leg stayed in because it was almost impossible for him to take it out. He gritted his teeth against the pain and got up to try one more time.

**Our world people**

"Do you think its safe to go in?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I mean it doesn't look evil does it?" Willow said as they slowly made there way across the street.

"Hey there's Fred, and Gunn and Wesley." Willow said before she could get an answer. She picked up her pace and then ran toward where they were.

"Hey guys-Cordelia?"

"Oh hi willow. I'm Cordelia just not your Cordelia."

"Umm, ok um…where's Spike?"

Cordelia paled at the name, but covered it up quickly. Fred answered with,"He went to go find Buffy and Angel"

Cordelia nodded. _I hope Angel and Xander don't find him first. _She thought bitterly. "Um.wait here I'm going to go in and see if anyone's around, you know so you guys don't shock you're doppelgangers."

Everyone nodded and Cordelia motioned toward a garden. "How about over there?" They all walked over and sat down and Cordelia went inside.

"Bugger." Spike muttered after about ten minutes of being led on another chase and not finding anything. He would pick up their scent and then that would lead him to a dead end.

Now he was outside a building and Buffy and Angel's scents were as strong as anything else he could pick up. _Why would Buffy and Angel be in there ? _He thought and then decided to go in anyway.

The inside was musty and old but the scent was even stronger. "Buffy? Angel?" He called. He walked around, the place looked deader than him. Then he heard the noise. At first it sounded like a grunt, then a yell. He stopped walking around and realized it was coming from down below. He walked over to something that looked raised. He pulled it up and realized it was a door. He cursed as he felt a searing pain on his hand and realized it was holy water.

He finally got the door opened and he looked down. "Spike!" Angel called to him.

"Angel what in the bloody hell are you doing down there?" Spike said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Spike, Buffy's down her she's hurt help me with her."

"Oh, okay." Spike lowered himself to the ground helped Angel lift her up and then helped Angel up.

"Will she be okay?" Spike asked looking at Buffy, who probably looked worse than she was, she would heal and be okay.

"Yes." Angel answered. Then he whispered. "I hope."

"We need to get her to a hospital." Spike said.

"No, we don't live here. Remember?" Angel asked.

"Yeah but-."

"We should just meet up with Willow and Giles and everyone else and get some first aid." Angel said and Spike nodded

They both carried Buffy as they made their way out. They walked in silence down the street neither one knowing what to say. As they walked down the street they stepped on newspapers. One floated their way by some mysterious wind, as if it was a sign from up above. It was a newspaper from two years ago. It was the obituary section, this particular page read:

**Summers, Buffy Anne**

Buffy Summers died last Friday in her hometown of Sunnydale. She is missed and loved

The page is then torn out but the rest reads:

She is survived by her friends and sister and father.

If the two had seen that maybe it would have explained what was to come.

This world's People 

"Cordelia is that you?" Giles asked from behind the desk in the lobby.

"Yeah, I just went for a walk. Is anyone else here?" Cordelia asked.

"I believe Fred is upstairs and Wesley…I think Wesley might have gone out."

"Oh okay. They didn't say when they'd be back, huh?"

"Well they are probably looking for Buffy and Drusilla, I believe that vision you had may lead us to them finally."

"Or just lead them into another confrontation that gets them killed." Cordelia muttered remembering all the times Xander and Angel had come home, if you can call this home, looking like hell.

Cordelia took a deep breath. "Giles I think-." There was a scream from the garden and Cordelia ran out.

"What?" She hissed.

"Oh ignore him. Andrew just saw a Gagnar demon for the first time." Dawn said shrugging.

"Okay you know what go in the back. If Angel or Xander come and see you you'll die."

"Whaddya mean if-?" Xander asked but Cordelia shushed him.

"Look you people are different in this world. Things are a lot different. I've got to show them, my world people, that you guys are here to help. So send a global thing Willow and get everyone here. Except Spike."

"Why not-?" Dawn asked.

"Just trust me. Everything will be explained soon. I hope." Cordelia told them and waited for them to move to the back.

Gunn and Willow walked down one street to the next, when nothing happened they thought about going to the Hyperion but decided to find Angel and Xander first. They had just turned around a corner when they saw them. Angel and Xander, both walking toward them.

"Did you find Buffy?" Willow asked and Xander nodded.

"Yeah, she hired one of those illusion demons. I think she wanted to get us all together and kill us. Probably figured this was easier. We locked them in the old building, you know the one." Xander said and Willow nodded.

"So I say we head back, I mean we got rid of Buffy for now right? I say we sleep or something." Gunn said and they walked the rest of the way to the Hyperion.

When they got there everyone was gathered in the lobby. It reminded Angel of the first time they had gotten together, right after Buffy died.

Cordelia sat up and looked at them. "Guys, uh maybe you should sit down."

Willow sat down but Angel and Xander stood.

"I umm, I had a vision. It was from another Cordelia from another world and there are umm some people here from the another world you have come to umm…make it better." She looked at everyone seriously and then Xander blinked and then started laughing hysterically.


	7. And that's what happened

**Alternate Reality People**

Cordelia narrowed her eyes but Xander kept laughing. "Xander I am serious!" she said.

"No…I mean. Come on! Look no ones here to make it better! This is ridiculous!" Xander said and kept laughing.

"I can prove it, Xander Harris!" Cordelia said getting pissed off at him.

"Alright, prove it." Xander said, rubbing his chin in that way he did when he got stressed out.

Cordelia turned on her heel and walked out. She found them all in the back. "Come on." She said and motioned them toward the door. They all followed, Giles, Willow, Dawn, a guy (she didn't know his name), Wesley, Fred and Gunn. She walked inside and smiled.

"See?" She said.

**Spike, Buffy and Angel Of our World**

"Ok, haven't we passed this before?" Spike asked as they walked down yet another street in search of the Hyperion.

"No, that's just your bad sense of direction." Angel muttered.

"I heard that." Spike muttered back.

"Yeah well we have to hurry up Spike. And I think the Hyperion is right up the block."

They walked in silence until they got to the street across from the Hyperion.

"Bloody Hell it's different!"

"You've never seen the Hyperion before."

"Yes I have, when well-I have." Spike said and they carried Buffy up the stairs.

"Are they in there?" Angel asked.

"I don't know…lets go and check." Spike asked looking down at Buffy.

Angel shook his head. "I don't know Spike. We should wait."

"Why? Buffy's hurt, we got to hurry and you of all people are saying we should wait." Spike said.

"I know. There's something going on, I can feel it. Let's just wait a couple minutes." Angel said and Spike stared at the Hyperion for a couple seconds and then nodded.

**Inside the Hyperion**

The two groups stared at each other. Andrew's mouth hung open in a comical O. Cordelia stood in the middle wearing a smile.

Xander of the alternate reality took a step forward and then decided against it and stepped back.

"Well? Believe me now?" Cordelia of the alternate reality asked the others.

"This is…remarkable." Giles of the regular dimension said.

"They're…us." Fred of the other dimension said and her doppelganger nodded in agreement.

"Make it Better." Alternate Reality Willow gasped and alternate reality Xander looked at her. "What's that?"

"Umm…"

"The SOS you sent out." The Willow of the regular world said.

"Yeah." The other Willow nodded.

"Just out of curiosity, why would you want to make it better? I mean we noticed all the blood and gore and other things but what happened in your world?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, what's so different in your world from ours?" Andrew asked bluntly.

Before anyone could speak the door bust open and Angel holding Buffy and Spike walked in.

Before anyone else could react Angel and Xander, of the alternate dimension, grabbed crossbows and aimed it at the group.

"Oh bugger." Spike said.

**To Be Continued**

Lol, I really wish I could have seen your faces then…that would have been great! Hopefully you'll read the rest. Here it goes:

Xander fired the crossbow that went directly toward Buffy's head. If Angel hadn't moved in time it would have killed her. Angel ran out the door and placed Buffy right outside, so she wouldn't get hurt and then rushed inside just to see Xander launching at Spike. He turned around and stood staring at himself.

"You know I never got around to thanking you for what you did back there." Angel said to himself.

"Yeah, well I never really got around for all the hell you put me through." Angel said and hit Angel.

Angel turned around and vamped out and hit the other Angel in the face. They traded blows for several minutes until Angel felt was knocked off his feet by some unknown force and when he stood up he saw Willow standing in the middle of the lobby.

"I don't know what happened in your world." She said and looked over at the group and then at Xander and Angel. "But I know that whoever you think they are, they're not. They're with us." She said and gestured toward Angel and Spike.

"He's not _evil_?" Xander asked.

"Was." Xander muttered.

"No." Willow told Xander. "He has a soul."

"What?" Angel asked. Then he looked at his doppelganger. "Do you have a soul?"

"Yes." Angel nodded.

"Am I the only one who thinks that's weird?" Gunn asked.

"I got it in Africa." Spike said.

"One question? Why?" Gunn asked.

"For a girl." Spike said, almost with a grin.

"So, he's not evil?" Fred asked.

"For the last time, No. I'm not." Spike said.

"Then…." Willow said and thought what everyone of the alternate reality was thinking.

"Then what?" Spike asked.

"Then you didn't kill Buffy?" Angel asked in an almost whisper.

**Buffy**

After sitting there for at least a couple of hours she gave up. Nothing was going to happen and she was beginning to think that this was just a trick from the powers to set her off. She had had it with them and couldn't wait until she killed all of their precious heroes. She got up and started walking toward the Hyperion. Why, she had no idea but she needed to see what _they _were up to. She hadn't been there in a while and decided it would be fun to pay them a visit.

It took only a few minutes to get there and when she did she spotted something that made her smile.

A blonde haired girl lie in front of the Hyperion doors and as she walked up behind the girl realized that it was her, the one she had been waiting for.

"Well well look what we have here." She smiled and picked up herself and walked away. She didn't know why she was here but it would be interesting to see why and who knew maybe in a couple of hours there would be two Buffy vampires.

**Inside the Hyperion **

"What?' Spike and a few others asked incredously.

Cordelia stepped forward. "That's why I told you that it probably wasn't smart for you to come in here."

"Two years ago you well actually the other you killed Buffy. She's a vampire now." Cordelia continued.

Spike stood there shocked. After a couple minutes he blinked and looked at Cordelia. "And where am I?"

"Dust. Buffy killed you before she died." Xander said.

Spike slowly looked over to Angel who looked as if he had just been hit in the gut. He looked to the others who looked equally as stunned. "When did it happen? How did it happen?"

"Drusilla came to Sunnydale and somehow got rid of the chip then you lured Buffy in by taking Dawn." Xander said not taking his eyes off Spike.

"That's not what happened in our world." Dawn said quietly.

"What did?" Xander asked.

"Drusilla came and then left." Spike said.

"Yeah but you did kidnap Buffy, did you not?" Giles asked and Spike nodded causing silence all over the room. Everyone was dawning on what could have been.

"That's a lot to take in." Andrew whispered.

"So you didn't kill Buffy? So that other Buffy, the one we saw in the alleyway-." Xander started.

"Yeah, that was really she." Angel said harshly.

"So she's not a vampire?" Xander asked.

"No." Spike answered.

"Is she ok?" Xander whispered.

"She will be." Angel said and walked toward the Hyperion door and outside. The only thing was, she wasn't there.


	8. Harder to Breathe

**A/N: Wow...what should I say? How about a huge Thank you! I love that you guys are reading this and loving it and where should I start with reviews? All I have to say is Thanks, and please keep reading and reviewing! I have a lot in store for this..lol Muah ha ha ha...and I can't wait for you guys to read it! Thanks everyone! You guys rock! So here it goes:**

**Ch. 8: Harder to Breathe**

**The Hyperion**

"What the bloody hell do you mean she's not there?" Spike yelled as he stood staring at Angel who had his fists clenched.

"She's not." Angel said, looking like he was going to punch someone. He turned to the others. "She wouldn't just walk away like that."

"Yeah." Spike said. "Unless…"

"Someone took her." Willow whispered.

"Why would someone take her? Who would take her?" Xander asked leaning against the couch in the lobby.

"Buffy would take herself." Dawn blurted out. When everyone looked at her she shrugged. "If you were a vampire and you saw another you, wouldn't you take yourself."

Everyone nodded but Dawn continued. "There's a problem though." Dawn said her voice shaking a little. "Your Buffy's a vampire, ours is not."

"Would she turn her? I mean Will, you had an encounter with yourself as a vamp, what do you say?" Xander asked quickly.

"I don't know." Willow said shaking her head.

"I remember that." Willow said and smiled for a minute but then frowned.

"What?" Giles asked.

"Angel, uh our Angel, when you said the Buffy back there was their Buffy do you mean the Buffy that you locked down in the cellar?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, why?" Angel asked.

Willow drew in a breath. "We need to find her fast."

"Why?" Angel asked.

"Because the arrows they hit her with can kill a human, even if it's a slayer." Willow

"What?" Spike almost screamed.

"We didn't know this would happen!" Willow said.

"Wait guys…" Cordelia said then grabbed her head.

"What's happening?" Dawn asked.

"She's having a vision." Almost everyone in the room answered at once.

"What'd you see?" Angel asked.

"I saw Buffy, and well Buffy." Cordelia closed her eyes again and when she opened them she widened her eyes. "As vampires."

Dawn's eyes widened. "But that's why you get the visions right? To stop them?"

"Yes, Dawn." Angel reassured her.

"So we go and stop it and find her, right?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah." Angel answered.

"Cordelia, do you know where?" Wesley asked.

"Umm…yeah."

"Ok, then let's go." Angel said.

Angel and Angel went in a group, Xander and Xander in another, Willow and Willow and Giles and Giles, Gunn and Gunn, Wesley and Wesley and then everyone else stayed at the Hyperion.

**Buffy **

"_Don't wake up." Buffy mumbled. _

"_Huh?" someone asked._

"_Oh My God" Buffy said as she pulled the cover off._

"_Hey!" The other girl said pulling the cover over._

_Buffy stood up and looked at her clothes. They were different._

"_Uhh…can't you wear something, I don't know, more fashionable?" The girl asked smirking._

_Buffy looked around her. She was in her old room in Sunnydale. Everything was the same but different._

"_It's my room." The girl answered standing up and Buffy got a good look at her. Short, blonde hair, yep that was her. _

"_I know why you're here." Buffy told her. _

"_Why am I here?" Buffy asked herself._

"_Simple, to make it better."_

"_Oh God that again." _

"_Look, I'm not going to be cryptic. We hate cryptic, but you need to help. I don't know why, you know those PTB'S they don't tell you squat. But I just know that it'll be good if you help."_

"_Yeah, but how?" Buffy asked her doppelganger._

"_If I knew don't you'd think I'd tell you?" Buffy smirked._

"_Probably." Buffy smirked back. _

"_Look I gotta go. You know when you're dead, you're destiny's not over yet? Think they'd give me a break!"_

_Buffy smiled._

"_I'll see you later. We're not done talking yet, but remember one thing."_

"_Yeah, what's that?" Buffy asked herself. _

"_Run!"_

And then Buffy was awake and being carried. Catching her kidnapper by surprise she hopped down and kicked him/her in the face. She caught a glimpse of blonde hair as she turned around and ran, just as she had told herself.

**Xander and Xander**

"So I'm like fighting guy now. How did this happen?" Xander asked his doppelganger.

Xander shrugged. "I guess after Buffy died, I realized that I needed to learn how to protect myself, otherwise I could get killed or get someone killed."

"Oh." Xander said as he continued walking.

"What's it like?" Xander asked.

"What do you mean?" Xander asked him.

"To have Buffy alive, to come from a world that isn't as bad as this one. I mean that's why it worked right? To make it better you have to have a world "better" than this one."

"She wasn't." Xander told him.

"What?"

"Always alive, she died again two summers ago. We um, we brought her back." Xander explained staring at the broadsword he held in his hand.

"Oh,"

"Yeah."

**Willow and Willow**

"And we lost our memories!" Willow said with a laugh. "It was um after Tara and me had that fight and I wanted Buffy to forget about where she had been…so I did a spell."

"Whoa." Willow said.

"Yeah, I got really into magick." Willow said taking a deep breath.

"Yeah me too. After Buffy died, a month or two after I think, I got so into it. I wanted to bring her back; I thought I could bring her back. I tried everything. Every spell I could find I tried, even some that I shouldn't have. I almost went off the deep end. It took me a while to get better." Willow told her.

"That happened to me. After, Tara died." Willow said.

"Oh." Willow whispered. "Tara's in England with Anya. They went away when Buffy almost killed them."

"Anya died too." Willow said and the mood that they had started off talking with returned.

"Was it easier?" Willow asked.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked. They were walking around downtown. They had been told to be careful and to contact anyone if they were in trouble. But seeing as they were two experienced witches no one seemed to think they'd need any help.

"Was it-I don't know. You're alive. So that's good. And you seem happy. So was it easier to get up in the morning, or easier to breathe?"

"Yeah. I guess. I mean I haven't really thought about it that way. Some days, though, are harder then others."

"How?" Willow asked, as they started walking down another alley.

"I guess with all the things that has happened to us over the past years, everything just seems hard and cold but sometimes everything seems okay."

"Oh." Willow said.

"Yeah." Willow answered, pitting her, it was scary to know that this was an alternate version of herself and that under different circumstances this could be her.

**Gunn and Gunn**

The two walked in silence both of them keeping their eyes peeled for the blonde slayer and vampire.

"So what happened in your world?" Gunn asked casually as they walked down the streets, passing abandon cars and boarded up shops. From the looks of it this was not the fancy part of town.

"We took over Wolfram and Hart, tried to turn it around from the inside." Gunn said.

"Whoa…it's a mall now. It's a funny story how that happened too. It was right after Buffy got turned, and Wolfram and Hart were trying desperately to get her to work with them but she said no, so they tried another way. It didn't work and lets just say the whole building got blown up…for lack of better words. So they made it a mall…don't know how that decision was made. But that's just the short story. If we had a couple hours…" Gunn told him as he swung the broadsword a couple times.

"Wow, I don't know what's left of it now. We got the senior partners pissed off at us so they sent us an army." Gunn said.

"And everyone survived?"

"No. Wesley and Fred…they died." Gunn told him.

"What? But that's impossible they're here." Gunn said.

"Yeah I know, but they still died." Gunn said and took a deep breath of air and then let it out in an explosive puff.

"Look, there's nothing here…I think we should turn back. Go the other way." Gunn said.

"Alright."

**Wesley and Wesley**

For a long time there was silence between the two former watchers. Until Wesley took a deep breath and looked at himself and asked, "Do you know who Connor is?"

And that's what started the conversation that felt to Wesley like he was connecting with a long lost part of himself.

When it came to the part about when Fred had died the other Wesley had said he was sorry. Since the events that had happened in Wesley's world had not happened in Wesley's world most of the things Wesley said were foreign and made no sense to his doppelganger. Then it was the other Wesley's turn to speak and Wesley listened to the account of what had happened to Wesley.

"It was extremely difficult for Angel. I have never seen him like that. He was so miserable. He at one point lost it. I remember it as if it were yesterday. We were going back to Hyperion and Buffy had written a letter to him. I don' t know what was in it…know one does, we just know that he broke down crying, and well I think you know he never cries. That was last year a week or two after Thanksgiving. All I really know is that it was something about never forgetting. We all assumed it had something to do with what he had done as Angelus but we are starting to suspect it's more than that. She actually has brought it up a couple of times. I really do wonder what it is?" Wesley said, shaking his head.

"Huh, I don't know." Wesley said and they started to walk by Wolfram and Hart.

**Giles and Giles**

"It must have been horrible." Giles said, walking in front of the Hyperion, where they been instructed to wait until someone came to them or they saw something elsewhere.

"It was." Giles said rubbing his eyes.

"It was always her nightmare." Giles told his other self.

"Yes, it was." Giles said remembering the time where they're nightmares had surfaced to the real world and Buffy had turned into a vampire.

"You know I never believed in heaven but after Jenny died I knew that she must be there and I know Buffy is too." Giles said.

"Yes." Giles agreed.

"I just hope we are able to get rid of the monster. I think we owe it to her to get rid of it." Giles said and the other Giles simply nodded.

**Angel and Angel **

They took the main street, the one that everyone said that Buffy and Drusilla traveled more than any other. No one asked when they took that street, they probably all knew that arguing with them was useless even though they were an easy target that way. So know they were walking, in silence up and down the street. They didn't bother taking the car, because they could cover more ground on foot.

"Do you know where they stay?" Angel asked.

"No, they move around all the time." Angel said.

"Picking up a scent?" Angel asked.

"Trying." Angel told him.

Angel tried too, but came up with nothing. Buffy was a good Vampire, well he would have never doubted that but he never really thought about it. It was always just something that was impossible. "She's covering her tracks." Angel muttered and the other Angel turned his head. "What?"

"She's covering her tracks, surrounding herself with other scents." Angel said

Angel laughed at that. "She's not dumb."

"Yeah, I know."

**Buffy **

_What the hell? I think I'm going in circles, _Buffy thought as she kept running in the opposite direction from her kidnapper.

Her whole body ached, and she felt as if she had at least ten arrows sticking out of her when she had only around three. She had pulled those out when she was running and even though all she wanted to do was give up and sleep she kept running. She had no idea what had happened or if Angel and the others were okay but she had to try to find them.

Her head pounded along with her feet on the payment as she sped up. The last thing she remembered was passing out in a cellar with Angel and she was still unclear on how she had gotten out of that cellar. _Was I passed out this whole time? _She took a deep breath and prayed to whatever god that would listen that there was a bed where she could sleep in this world. _And please let the others be okay, _she added. But right now she couldn't think of that the more she thought about that the more she worried and she couldn't worry because she had to concentrate on staying alive; because she was sure her kidnapper didn't want to welcome her to this world.

_Keep running, _she told herself. Like she had told herself in her dream. What was that about? She had a pretty good feeling she would find out soon. She took a deep breath and continued to run, the streets were empty and she was alone and that's exactly how she felt. Alone, confused and hurt…very hurt. She closed her eyes and thought about anywhere but here, the game she played in high school. Anywhere but here: Sunnydale! Oh god she would give anything to be in Sunnydale again. Sunnydale was so much better than here. Either that or Hawaii she wouldn't mind Hawaii, or Bermuda. The next thing she knew she slammed into someone. When she opened her eyes to see whom she had hit she saw brunette hair, warm brown eyes, and leather duster…oh god finally!

"Angel." She sighed and fell into his arms.


	9. Sanctuary

**A/N: Yay, I updated. I hope to update ASAP! Please R&R, thanks! I hope you guys like that I respond to reviews, I will try to do this every update. **

**Charli92: Thanks! I'm glad you like it! Hope you like this chapter! As for the arrows, read and find out!**

**Ghostwriter: Thanks! I hope you like the chapter! And I'm working I'm working on making the whole doppelganger thing less confusing, hope that happens in this chapter.**

**J- Thanks, and no Connor did not come around in this world. **

**Now on to the story:**

**Chapter 9: Sanctuary**

**Angel and Angel**

"Buffy?" Angel stared awed for a second as she fell into his arms.

"Buffy?" Angel whispered taking her from the other Angel and walking back toward the Hyperion. He then looked back toward his doppelganger "Tell the Willows we've got her."

Angel nodded and almost smiled. She was okay and she was alive. He sighed and contacted Willow and then followed Angel.

**Inside the Hyperion**

"Should we wake her?" Giles asked the group that surrounded the bed.

"No, let her sleep." Giles answered.

They watched the Slayer. She murmured something but no one could understand. Finally Giles got up and went downstairs and the Wesley's, the Fred's, Dawn, the Xander's and Spike followed him. The only ones who remained were Angel and Angel.

Angel sat in a chair and the other Angel sat by Buffy's side, stroking her hair.

"Willow's working on the spell right now." Angel said.

"What would have happened to her, what was that arrow?" Angel asked.

"Remember when we were hit by that arrow right before Buffy's graduation?" Angel asked and Angel nodded.

"Well that's what this is, only it's a lot stronger. There's a cure for humans but not for vampires." Angel said.

"Oh, wait but you hit me with the-." Angel started but Angel stopped him.

"No, we didn't know you were a vampire, we just hit you with normal arrows." Angel told him.

"Is she-does it hurt her now?" Angel asked looking at Buffy.

"I don't know, it might." Angel said and then shook his head. "I'm sorry."

Angel nodded. Then there was a soft knock on the door and Willow cam in followed by the other Willow, holding a mug that was probably filled with Buffy's cure.

"You said that this arrow was like the one we got shot with, does she need slayer's blood?" Angel asked.

"No, well not really. She is the Slayer so her blood will substitute for the blood needed." Willow said. She handed the mug to Angel and then opened the door for Giles, Spike, Dawn and Xander.

Angel set the mug down on the nightstand next to the bed and sat Buffy up. She was still unconscious and her head rolled like a rag dolls to one side. He grabbed the mug and gently lifted her head and brought the mug to her lips.

"Come on Buffy, drink." He said softly and he lifted the mug so some of its contents could go down her throat.

"That smells nasty." Dawn pointed out.

"Tell me about it." Xander said, covering his nose.

After Buffy had drunk all of the contents Angel laid her back down on the bed.

"She's going to be alright now?" Spike asked.

"Yeah. Just let her sleep. She'll wake up in a little bit." Willow said and then left the room, everyone following behind her, except of course Angel and Angel.

Downstairs in the lobby everything was tense. It was as if any minute a bubble would burst. Dawn was talking to the Willow's and Fred's and Cordelia over by the ottoman. The Gunn's and Xander's were talking by the weapons chest and then the Wesley's and Giles's. Just then everything grew silent as Angel came downstairs followed by Angel and finally Buffy.

Dawn ran up to her and hugged her. "Hey Dawnie, you're ok right?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah." Dawn said and nodded. "Isn't weird, there's two of all of us. Two Willow, two of Xander, two of me and-and two of you." Dawn said with a whisper.

"Yeah, cool."

Buffy walked down and sat on a couch and everyone stared at her. "Umm…hi?" Buffy said feeling all the eyes on her.

"Buffy are you alright?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. But how do I know that you're my Giles? Both of you are the same. You should where little hats that say Giles one and Giles two...all of you should."

"That is something we should work out." Wesley said, nodding.

"Yeah, it could get kind of confusing." Dawn said.

"Huh, oh well. We'll figure out something. So umm…Giles, my Giles, do they know why were here. Can they help us with something, anything that might give us a clue as to why we're here?" Buffy asked.

"Well, Buffy I think there's something you should know." Giles said taking off his glasses. Then he paused. "Do you know who took you?"

"I didn't get a good look at her. I'm assuming it was a her because of the blonde hair, but no I didn't get a good look at whoever it was." Buffy said.

Giles took a deep breath. "Buffy in this world, you are a vampire."

Buffy inhaled sharply. "Oh. That's umm…how?"  
Almost everyone in the room turned their head to Spike who frowned.

"Spike turned me!" Buffy said. "How? When?" She looked at Spike who hung his head.

"Don't look at me Pet, it was the other me who did it." Spike said.

"Yeah, I know it's just. Where is he?" Buffy asked.

"Dead." Xander said.

"Oh…who?"

"You. Before you died." Angel said.

"Oh." Buffy whispered.

Everything was quiet for a little while. Until Cordelia said, "Where do you go from here?"

"I have an idea." Fred said and everyone looked at her. "Let's go see Lorne."

Most people nodded their agreement; some had no idea who they were talking about.

"Who's he?" Buffy asked.

**Caritas**

"So what's this place?" Buffy asked as they faced the entrance to a place called Caritas.

"It's a club, some people call it a Sanctuary. It's Lorne's place, he's a demon, who reads people and guides them toward their future." Angel said.

"Oh, and you knew him back home too?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah." Angel said.

"Cool."

"So what do you want? Lorne to read us all?" Gunn asked.

"No, just Buffy." Angel said. 

"Oh great, why only me?" Buffy asked.

"Because you may be the reason you are making this world better, you could be what you are making better." Wesley said.

"I don't think this can get anymore confusing." Xander muttered.

They walked inside and a green skinned demon with two horns sticking out of it smiled at them and walked over. "It's been a long time since I saw you guys and what's with the doppelgangers?"

"Hi Lorne." Willow said.

"They're us from another dimension. They're here to make it better." Angel said.

"Oh, wow. This is big. Well, come in. Come in. Can I get you anything? How about a sea breeze?" he asked and gestured toward the glass in his hand.

Everyone shook his or her head no. "No that's alright Lorne but can you possibly read Buffy?" Wesley asked and gestured toward the slayer.

Lorne's eyes widened. He lowered his voice. "You brought her here? This place is supposed to be a sanctuary for people, and you brought her here?"

"It's not that Buffy. We're talking about the other one, from the other world." Xander said.

"Oh, okay then. Well there's no one here anyway. You know, so you don't startle any people." Lorne smiled and held out his hand. "I'm Lorne, we've never met, and well I've met your-never mind. This is quite an honor. How are you?"

Buffy smiled. She liked Lorne. "Okay."

"Good, okay go pick out a song sweet cheeks." Lorne said pointing to the stage.

"A song?" Buffy asked looking at Angel.

"Well, to read you, I have to hear you sing." Lorne said.

"Nobody told me that!" She said looking at the group. "I don't sing…the only time I sing is in the shower and I probably don't sing well either!"

"That's alright, give it a try. It's a very spiritual feeling, the singing. Especially if you pick the right song." Lorne said.

Buffy took a deep breath and looked at Angel. "Have you ever done this?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah."  
"Alright…I guess I'll try." Buffy started walking toward the stage. "None of you better laugh, and Dawn that means you."

"Okay!" Dawn said giggling.

Buffy looked toward the list of songs and raised her eyebrows. "Uhh…what song do I pick?"

Lorne smiled. "Something that has some special meaning to you. A song that you might feel connected too. Pick two if you'd like. I want to get to know you first and then we'll see what the future holds."

Buffy nodded and looked at the list nothing really popped out at her. The list was in alphabetical order by artist and there was nothing in the A's, or B's…C's, D's. She kept looking until she got to the M's and she saw Sarah MchLachlan. She smiled and looked at the songs by her. Her heart almost skipped a beat as she looked at two songs. I will remember you and Angel. She smiled and knew that those were the right songs.

"Okay, I've got them." Buffy said.

"Okay." Lorne said and set it up.

"You ready?" Lorne asked and she nodded.

"I'm a little nervous." Buffy admitted.

"That's normal." Lorne said.

"Okay." Buffy said. She looked at her friends. They were all watching her and she felt her palms start to sweat and her heart start to beat fast. She took a deep breath and took the mike and waited until she heard the intro. Angel was playing first.

_"Spend all your time waiting  
for that second chance  
for a break that would make it okay  
there's always one reason  
to feel not good enough  
and it's hard at the end of the day  
I need some distraction  
oh beautiful release  
memory seeps from my veins  
let me be empty  
and weightless and maybe  
I'll find some peace tonight"_

Buffy sang the words and her heartbeat slowed down, she felt the music and she connected with it. She now knew what Lorne meant by spiritual feeling. She continued:

_"In the arms of an angel  
fly away from here  
from this dark cold hotel room  
and the endlessness that you fear  
you are pulled from the wreckage  
of your silent reverie  
you're in the arms of the angel  
may you find some comfort there."_

She looked out into the audience and saw people watching her and she smiled and continued singing.

__

"So tired of the straight line  
and everywhere you turn  
there's vultures and thieves at your back  
and the storm keeps on twisting  
you keep on building the lie  
that you make up for all that you lack  
it don't make no difference  
escaping one last time  
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh  
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

  
_In the arms of an angel  
fly away from here  
from this dark cold hotel room  
and the endlessness that you fear  
you are pulled from the wreckage  
of your silent reverie  
you're in the arms of the angel  
may you find some comfort there  
you're in the arms of the angel  
may you find some comfort here"_

When she finished singing there was a round of applause from the audience and Buffy smiled. 

Then the next song came on and as she heard the intro she thought she was going to cry. This was the right song. She could feel it in her bones. She felt the claddagh ring, which she wore on her finger, the first time in a while, and she smiled. But where did it come from? She left it at home. Weird, she thought. And then it was time for her to sing.

_"I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories_

Remember the good times that we had?  
I let them slip away from us when things got bad  
How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun  
Wanna feel your warmth upon me, I wanna be the one

I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories"

As she sung she looked out and spotted Angel. She smiled at him and he smiled back. She spotted the claddagh ring on his hand and bit her lip. She continued singing.

_"I'm so tired but I can't sleep  
Standin' on the edge of something much too deep  
It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word  
We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard_

But I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories

I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to loose  
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose  
Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night  
You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light."

She looked back out and saw Angel. He was biting his lip and Buffy couldn't tell if he was crying, laughing or what.

_"And I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories_

And I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories  
Weep not for the memories."

As she finished up she felt her eyes start to fill up with tears. When she was done a burst of applause came from the audience and a few people gave her a standing ovation. She smiled and walked off stage.

Dawn came up and hugged her. "Whoa Buffy, that was amazing."

"Yeah, Buf, how come you never told us you were Sarah MchLachlan in disguise?" Xander asked.

Buffy smiled and turned to Lorne who was wiping his eyes.

"Wow." He said.

"Thank you." Buffy said.

"How did it feel?" Lorne asked.

"Wonderful, exhilarating. Like I was free and safe. I was in my own-." She stopped, trying to find the words. "Sanctuary, like I was in my own sanctuary. And I feel stronger and I don't think that feeling is going to go away. I think-I think I might have tapped into a place deep within me and I like it here."

"You did." Lorne said and smiled. "That was incredible. You have such life, you have so many emotions and feelings especially for a certain brooding vampire with a soul over there." Lorne said and Buffy smiled.

"So, what's her future?" Xander said coming up to them.

Lorne regarded the group. "She'll definitely help you, help the world. She's going to make it better. The how is a little unclear, but she'll think of something." He smiled. 

Angel came up to Buffy and hugged her. "I love you." He said to her and she smiled. "I love you too."

They kissed and held each other for a couple minutes until Angel felt a tap on his back.

"Sorry big guy, but can I talk to Buffy for a minute?" Lorne asked.

"Yeah sure." He said and then walked toward the others who were getting ready to go.

Lorne led Buffy off to the side. "What I said back there I mean it. You are going to help them and you probably will figure it out but just in case." Lorne took her hand and slipped a small piece of paper into it.

"What-?" Buffy started to ask but Lorne put up a hand.

"I don't know if you might need it, but if you do you have it. And don't look at it unless you know it's absolutely necessary. As a last resort thing and all."

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Let's just say its been known to help people in the past." Lorne said.

"Okay." Buffy said.

"Good. Now go have fun. Go do something; you might even find something out about the world. Something you can use to help." Lorne said.

Buffy smiled. "Thank you."

"No thank you, it was an honor. And I'm happy we met." Lorne said.

"Yeah, me too." Buffy said and smiled at him.

"Oh and if you ever need me, I'm here."

Buffy nodded and walked toward the group.

"What did he say to you?" Angel asked.

"Just that if I ever needed anything I could come to him." Buffy said and smiled. 

"Let's go through the tunnels." Angel said.

"Why?" Xander asked.

"It's daylight and it's quicker." Angel told him.

"Got it." Xander said and they walked toward the entrance to the sewers.

Back at the Hyperion everyone was bored, they were all doing something but they wanted something else to do. The Giles's and Wesley's were reading books. The Gunn's and Xander's were hanging out in the training room downstairs. The Willow's were working on spells. The Fred's were just chatting. Dawn and Cordelia were talking by the ottoman and Spike was counting to a million, that's how bored he was. The Angel's and Buffy were hanging out by the counter. It was rounding nine o clocks and everyone was hungry or anxious to do something.

Suddenly Cordelia sprang out of her seat, causing Dawn to jump up and said. "I have an idea!"

"What's that?" Xander said coming up with Xander and the Gunn's.

"Let's go shopping!" Cordelia burst out and everyone stared at her.


	10. The Mall

**A/N: Hey guys I know its been a while, I'm sorry. Please don't hate me for the chapter, I don't know how it is so please be gracious. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up by the Holidays, but there might be a slight chance that it'll be after the holidays because something that is going to asist me with writing the upcoming chapters will hopefully be a present. So once again Thanks for the reviews you guys are the best!**

**Chapter 10: The Mall**

The Hyperion was quiet and everyone stared at her.

Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them. "Cordelia are you sure shopping is a good idea?"

"Why not? We're bored and there's nothing else to do and it may be our last days on earth so we might as well have some fun!" Cordelia said

Giles stared at her. "I'm kidding!" she said.

Buffy shook her head. "I think shopping is a great idea."

Xander nodded. "We never did get to go shopping."

"Good, Willow?" Cordelia asked.

"Uhh, yeah I guess."

"Sounds good to me." Willow also nodded.

"It's daylight." Angel said.

"So we'll take the tunnels." Cordelia said.

"So it's settled then, anyone who doesn't want to come can stay." Cordelia said.

"One question, why shopping?" Dawn asked.

"Because if you guys are going to make it better you need to stay here and if you stay here you're going to need clothes and other things." Cordelia told the teen.

"Oh." Dawn said.

Just then a disheveled-looking Andrew came down the stairs.

"Where have you been?" Buffy asked.

"Sleeping, you have no idea how jet lag from an alternate universe is treating me. What's going on?' Andrew said rubbing his head.

"Shopping." Cordelia said.

"Huh?" Andrew asked.

"We're going shopping." Cordelia said.

"Oh, I want go." Andrew said.

"Get dressed, five minutes, come on move it!" Cordelia called.

"Whoa, she's like captain commando of shopping." Dawn said.

"Tell me about it." Xander muttered.

About thirty minutes later, and lots of bickering the group made it to the mall. "

"It recently became the only mall in L.A., and it's huge. It was built on the grounds of the law firm, Wolfram and Hart and it is said to have lots of paranormal activity happen there." Giles told the group as they walked through the courtyard to the mall that was known as the L.A. mall because no one could come up with a name for it.

"Guess we do get to shopping after all you know since that's what we were planning to do…if Sunnydale hadn't been DESTROYED!" Dawn said marveling at the place.

"Wow…your mall was destroyed? Ours…well it was kind of abandoned and then destroyed." Willow said.

"Ok so I'll take the girls and you guys can well…do whatever you men do." Cordelia said to the group.

"Yes well there is a couple stores in here that aren't just for you woman." Wesley said.

"But our stores are just way better." Cordelia said. She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Okay…uh Buffy, Willow's, Dawn, and Fred's this way."

Buffy turned to Angel and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before walking with Dawn and Willow to where the other Willow and Fred's and Cordelia were standing.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Xander asked.

"I don't know. Do whatever you do. Unless, you want to follow us and carry our stuff." Cordelia said with a smile on her face.

"No that's okay." Xander turned to the group of men. "Where to?"

"How about we meet with you ladies later?" Giles said.

"Okay." Cordelia said and smiled. "Bye Bye." She waved. She then turned to the girls. "Say goodbye to the boys girls. We've got major shopping ahead of us and something, that's not my visions, tells me that we'll be away from them for awhile."

Dawn looked at Buffy who shrugged and Dawn giggled as they followed Cordelia.

**The Girls **

The first couple of stores that they passed were fashion deprived and therefore had no reason for the group to go into to. But then they saw a store that made all of the girls shriek and run toward it.

"Oh my god, I thought they closed this down!" Cordy said and smiled as if she were a child on Christmas morning.

"Tell me about it, didn't they have one of these in Sunnydale and then they closed it?" Dawn asked as she stood open-mouthed looking at the clothes and jewelry.

"Oh yeah, I remember that." Willow said.

"What are we waiting for? Let's shop!" Buffy said and all girls ran to the same rack of clothes.

"Oh wow…" Cordelia said looking at a shirt that had an area for the belly button ring to show.

"Cool!" Dawn said and grabbed the shirt but put it back when she saw the look on Buffy's face.

The group turned around and realized that the whole store was filled with things only vampires would wear.

In single file the group walked out each disgusted.

**The Boys**

"Shopping has never been my thing." Gunn said as they walked around the huge mall.

"Me neither." Xander muttered but stopped when he saw a store that had some "interesting" pieces of clothing inside.

The other Xander chuckled and pulled himself away from the store. "I remember when I was like that."

"You know this whole shopping thing has been underrated for so long." Xander told the group. "It could be you know uh…a good thing and not that thing some of us have dreaded."

"Well, the Sunnydale mall was always a bit boring." Giles said wiping his glasses. "But I have to admit this mall is very nice."

"Giles, gasp! You shop?" Xander laughed.

"Well yes Xander I do have my own hobbies that do not include books and-."

"What?" Xander asked.

"He just saw a starbucks." Giles asked.

"And that excites you?" Xander asked.

"When you haven't seen a good cup of tea in over three months you too would be staring at this place as if it were salvation." Wesley said sarcastically.

"I forgot I'm surrounded by the British." Xander said.

"Hey!" Spike said.

"And Willy-Wanna-Bite." Xander added.

"Ha! That's a good one." Gunn chuckled.

"Ok, can we go now. I am in desperate need for a good cup of tea." Giles asked impatiently.

"Sure." Xander said.

So the group made it to Starbucks.

Both Giles went to get some tea along with Wesley and then they came back to the table.

"You know what I want to know?" Gunn asked looking around.

"What?" Wesley asked.

"The story." Gunn said.

"What story?" Angel asked him.

"Of you guys. You never went into detail about how you all met and everything. I mean sure we know bits and pieces but not the whole story. God knows we have enough time."

"Amen to that." Spike muttered.

Giles took a deep breath. The other Giles sipped his tea. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. From the beginning."

"Of what?" Xander asked.

"I don't know. You tell us." Gunn said.

"You want everything?" Xander asked.

Gunn nodded.

"From the beginning?" Xander asked.

"Yeah."

"Alright." Xander said. "Well we have enough people from Sunnydale to help out so I guess I'll start."

"It all started I guess you could say when Buffy moved to Sunnydale. That's when we all met. I remember the first night she was there vampires took my friend Jesse and turned him…and I remember I staked him."

"You did?" Gunn asked.

"By accident." Xander said, remembering the night of the Harvest.

"And then you were friends with Buffy?" Gunn asked.

"Yeah me and Willow and Buffy, best friends. We used to call ourselves the Slayerettes." Xander said taking a deep breath.

There was a silence and then Xander said "Remember when we got pledged when we were going undercover in the frat house."

Xander laughed. "Yeah."

"What happened?" Gunn asked.

"Cordelia and Buffy had went to a frat party." Xander explained.

"Cordelia and Buffy were friends?" Gunn asked.

"No." everyone answered.

"They just went together." Xander explained.

"Oh." Gunn said.

"Yeah."

"So what else?" Andrew asked.

An hour later…

"And you left her!" Spike yelled.

"Well in this world you kill her!" Angel growled and the other Angel growled back at Spike.

"You didn't have a relationship in this world!" Angel yelled.

"I KNOW!" Spike screamed.

Everyone else sat around the table. "How long do you think they'll go at it?" Gunn asked.

"It'll take awhile for them to calm down." Xander said looking at his watch.

"Wow…one girl could set them off. They act as if she's the world."

"To them she is." Xander said. "And trust me I've tried to get between them. Nothing works."

It took about twenty minutes to get the three of them to calm down and a trip to liquor, just for looks not taste. By that time the girls were back with ten shopping bags in hand each. Everyone seemed happy to be around each other even though there had been a fight earlier.

The large group walked home seeing as it was dark out and the girls talked about their adventures in the mall. When they got back to the Hyperion everyone was pooped and they all sat around, everyone being too lazy to get up.

Gunn broke the silence of the room. "So you never finished the story."

"What story?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, we told Gunn about us, you the whole thing." Xander said.

"Huh." Buffy said.

"Yeah well they were talking about what happened in this world." Gunn said and he looked at the men. "So…?"

"Well we told you everything. It was hard, painful. A lot of fighting." Xander said.

"Yeah, pretty much sums it up." Gunn nodded.

Buffy turned to Angel who sat next to her by the desk. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yep." Angel said and smiled but Buffy turned to where the other Angel and Xander, Gunn and Giles sat.

"Yeah?" Xander asked.

"Where's Faith?" Buffy asked.

The alternate universe group exchanged glances.

Giles cleared his throat. "We haven't seen Faith since about a couple months after you died."

"Was she in jail?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, but we got her out. We um, we needed a Slayer." Wesley told her.

"And one night she went out looking for you." Giles told Buffy.

"And we haven't seen her since." Willow said.

"And now I guess I'm back." A voice said from the hotel's double doors. Faith attempted to smile at Buffy. "Hey B."


	11. Pier of Dreams

A/N: It's an update! Yay! I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a long time but I promise I'll start updating again. Thanks for the reviews they've been fantastic! Please keep reviewing!

The room temperature was cold and everyone held his or her breath. They kept trading glances between the newcomer and Buffy.

"Faith." Buffy nodded in acknowledgement. Some people breathed easier after that.

"Faith, where've you been?" Wesley asked from the corner.

"Hiding." She answered.

"Hiding?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, turns out B here has a grudge."

Everyone was quiet for a moment until Gunn said, "Well this is good right? Now we have another Slayer."

"Yeah." Wesley agreed.

"You know, I heard there were people here to 'Make it Better'" Faith said making her way into the lobby.

"They're from another universe." Wesley informed her.

"Huh. What do I do in this so called other universe?" Faith asked shaking off her leather jacket.

Buffy shrugged. "Don't know." Buffy said. "Last time I checked you were in England with Wood."

"Who?" Faith asked.

"Robin Wood, son of Nicky Wood. Another Slayer that Spike killed." Giles said rather uncomfortably.

Angel turned to Spike, who shrugged. Faith hopped on the lobby desk. "So." Faith said turning to Buffy. "What have you been up to in your alternate universe?"

"Well. I haven't been turned so that's a plus." Buffy said and shrugged. "We saved the world like three times."

"And you have to save it again." Faith said shaking her head. "Life's a bitch isn't it?"

"It gets better." Buffy told her.

"So I'm told." Faith answered.

"Well I don't know about you but I can sleep for like a month." Faith answered.

"Yeah I'm pretty tired." Dawn said.

"Good it's settled we all go to bed. Now what about rooms?" Cordelia said looking around at the many people in the room.

Buffy was put in a room next to Dawn and Willow and across the hall from Wesley and Fred, Angel, Gunn, Giles and Spike. Everyone else slept on the other end of the hall.

When Buffy's head touched the pillow she felt like she hadn't slept in forever.

"I told you I'd see you again soon." A voice said and Buffy turned around and saw herself. The other Buffy was wearing a cream colored top and jeans. Buffy remembered that outfit. It made her look like an Angel.

"Do you where that all the time?" Buffy asked.

"I have to." Buffy responded.

"Why?"

"Because this is the only thing I have, you don't get to bring your whole wardrobe with you when you die." Buffy told her and reality came crashing down on Buffy.

"Why are we here?" Buffy asked, resuming the cryptic-ness of the dream as she looked at a pier that looked vaguely familiar.

"I don't know. You can never really find out why you end up in places like this." The other Buffy said with a twinkle in her eye.

"But here?"

"Dreams are a mystery."

"Yeah tell me about it." Buffy said putting her hair behind her ears. Why did this place seem so familiar?

Buffy turned to face the water and watched as the morning sun hit the waves.

"It's beautiful." Buffy said.

"It really is." The other Buffy agreed.

"So what brings us here? I mean, you're not missing out on harps and rainbows and meadows just to share a moment with me."

Buffy blew out a long breath of air. "It's not like that and you know it."

"Yeah, but its warm and safe. Why miss out on that?"

"You do what you have to do." The other Buffy said sadly.

"Yeah."

Buffy lifted her face to the sun. "It's almost real." She muttered.

"You miss it." Buffy said it wasn't a question it was a statement.

"Wouldn't you?" Buffy asked her with sad eyes. Then she shook her head. "No more angsty time for business."

"Oh great." Buffy muttered.

"Look, once again I know you hate cryptic, we both do. But you're going to play a huge part in what's to come." Buffy said.

"You say that like you regret it."

"I do. Because you and I both know what that means." Buffy said and then shook her head. "All I know is that it revolves around you, us."

Buffy cocked her head. "Now you seem even more cryptic than Angel."

Buffy grinned and then frowned. "The PTB's are saying that something big is going to go down."

"And?" Buffy asked.

"Something with something that was given to you. A paper or something."

"Great." Buffy muttered.

"And the rest-."

"Let me guess." Buffy said. "I have to figure out on my own."

"Yes."

"Do you know anything?" Buffy asked her. "Besides what you're telling me?"

"No. I wish I did. Trust me, I'd tell you. But I don't think they know either."

"Do I get help?" Buffy asked.

"Cordy should be able to, and the others. I'll pop in every once and a while too." Buffy said.

"Thanks." Buffy told her alternate self.

"No prob." Buffy smiled and then frowned again.

"What?"

"There is something. Giles and Wes should know about it. Check for a book with a black cover, old and musty." The other Buffy told her.

"Oh that narrows it down."

"It's plain. Probably the only plain one in the collection that he and Wes share." Buffy told her.

"What does it say?" Buffy asked.

"No clue, but I think it has some info that backs up the codex. But it goes into what if scenarios." Buffy answered her.

"Like what if a Slayer got turned?" Buffy asked.

"Most Likely." Buffy answered.

"Great, how'd you find that?" Buffy asked curiously looking at the gravel that stretched out to the pier and then to the peaceful water.

"Cleaning." Buffy laughed.

"That works."

They were silent for a while, Buffy lost in her thoughts until the other Buffy spoke up.

"How are they?"

Buffy knew exactly of whom she was talking about. She took a deep breath and responded. "They miss you a lot. I haven't been there enough to tell you exactly what's been going on in their heads but they're grieving."

"How's Angel?" Buffy asked with a hint of what sounded like she was desperate.

"I couldn't tell you. But you can tell he's hurting. I can't imagine how you feel, how he feels. I mean a vampire is walking around in your body."

Buffy bit her lip. "Yeah."

She hugged herself then. It was awkward but she felt that she needed to, had to.

"Can you tell them that I love them and that I'm okay? Tell Xander that it's not his fault. And tell Willow thanks, especially for taking care of Dawn. And tell Angel, tell him that I love him and that I always will." Buffy asked.

"I will. Just, When?" Buffy asked.

Buffy wiped her tears away and smiled. "Have a Scooby meeting."

"And tell them." Buffy laughed. "That I see what they're doing so they better behave."

"Okay." Buffy said smiling and they began walking toward the pier.

"Tell Faith that it's not her fault either." She took a deep breath that came out as a shudder. "I miss them so much."

"I know."

"But I'm happy and I'm okay." Buffy said throwing some pebbles into the water. "And I'll be waiting for each and everyone of them."

Buffy nodded. "Okay."

"Well you better wake up now. They're going to think you're in a coma or something. It's like twelve down there." Buffy told her.

"Oh, I kind of like it here." Buffy said looking around.

"I know. Remember everything I told you. Don't tell them everything yet. Just about the book and what I told you to tell them. Because you know, the Angels are overprotective."

Buffy smiled. "I know."

Buffy waved. "Whatcha waiting for? Wake up."

Buffy woke up and stretched. She knew what she had to do. She got up and walked downstairs where she could hear them talking.


	12. The Truth

Buffy walked down the stairs and into the silent lobby. She heard a noise from the kitchen and walked in. Angel was in there leaning on the counters. She could tell it was her Angel because he wasn't as thin as the other one and the look that he gave her when she came in wasn't filled with longing, guilt or regret. It was of love and compassion.

"Hey." She said quietly.

"Hey sleepyhead." He said and smoothed down a piece of her bed head. She gave him a lazy smile.

"It's late." He told her.

"It's quiet." She responded.

"Well we all thought that you deserved some rest and we went of to do our own things." He said and she nodded moving closer to him.

"The Giles' and Wesley's went shopping. The Willow's and Fred's are discussing magicks. The other me." He started and then raised his eyebrows and continues. "And Spike are fighting downstairs in the training room along with the Gunn's and Xander's."

"Where's Dawn?" Buffy asked.

"With Cordelia and Faith." Angel replied and smiled at her reaction.

"What are they doing?" She asked.

"I have no idea." Angel said.

"Where's Andrew?" Buffy asked him.

"With the girls."

"Okay." She said and moved even closer to him.

"How are you?" He asked her, concern etching his features.

"A little sore from the arrows." She said and then realizing what he meant she shrugged lightly. "This could have been us, Angel." She told him and she felt herself hugging him.

He didn't say anything and Buffy knew he knew the brutal honesty; it could have been them just under different circumstances. "It's scary but true. What changed it?"

"Spike." Angel whispered against her shoulder.

"Oh." Buffy said and thought.

They didn't talk about it more but Buffy was brought back to the dream she had. She broke from the hug and took Angel's face in her hands and looked into his brown eyes.

"I love you." She said and kissed him.

When the kiss broke off he looked surprised. "Done baking?"

"Uhuh." She said and continued to kiss him.

She broke off the kiss and he sighed. "I had a dream."

"Uh oh." Angel said frowning.

Buffy nodded.

In less then ten minutes the whole group had come together in the lobby of the hotel. Each and every person was eager to hear about Buffy's dream

Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them in the age-old ritual that he did when he was stressed out. Dawn leaned on her elbow her features etched in concern. Spike's brow was furrowed, which meant he was thinking. Willow bit on her lip and Xander kept wiping his mouth. This all meant they were nervous.

"Guys everything's ok, she just had a dream." Gunn said.

"Right." Xander said, shaking his head.

"You obviously have never been around for one of B's dreams." Faith said, shaking her head.

"Are they bad?" Fred asked.

"Well considering the accuracy of her dreams and the thing she sees in them, yes they usually are bad." The other Giles told them.

"What happened?" Willow asked looking at her best friend.

Buffy looked around at the room. "I saw me, the one from this world the one with a soul."

Angel and Xander both shot up. "What?" They asked.

"It hasn't been the first time, when the other me had me, she came to me and told me to wake up." Buffy said raising her eyebrows at the sentence she had just said.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Wesley asked.

"Because at the time I had been knocked out from poisonous arrows, I couldn't remember that well." She answered, daring him to say more.

"And what happened in the dream." Giles asked.

"We talked." Buffy answered.

"Just talked?" Xander asked.

"Yes, a lot actually."

"And what did she say?" Giles asked.

Buffy bit her lip remembering what she was supposed to tell them and what she was not supposed to. "Just that well, she misses you guys a lot."

"We miss her." Willow said.

Buffy smiled. "She knows." Buffy laughed. "She said she's watching each and every one of you so you better behave."

Willow smiled at Xander who stared off into space. "Is she okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, she looks good too." She smiled, as everyone else seemed to smile.

Buffy looked at Angel. "She also says that she loves you." She whispered and everyone seemed to sit still.

Angel grinned and everyone relaxed.

"She said that you should stop blaming yourself." Buffy said looking at Xander.

Xander shook his head and gave a slight grin. "She knows me too well."

Xander laughed. "What do you expect? She's Buffy."

Buffy smiled at Xander. "She also said to tell Willow thank you, for taking care of Dawn."

Willow looked up. "You're welcome."

Buffy looked toward Faith. "It's not your fault, you know that right?"

Faith sucked in her breath. "I don't know."

"It's not your fault, or anyone's here. It happened, it could have happened at any time any place" She closed her eyes. "It could have happened to me."

Spike shook his head and was about to say something when Buffy held up a hand. She turned to Giles

"Umm also, do you have a plain black book?"

Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them and then returned them to the bridge of his nose. "I believe so, is there a title?"

"Um, no. But it probably has something to do with the codex like what if scenarios." Buffy answered and watched as Giles got up to go into a back room.

"You mean what if scenarios like what if the slayer got turned?" Willow asked.

Buffy turned around to her look at her friend and nodded. "Exactly."

Giles returned with a plain looking black book. He handed it to Buffy. Buffy smiled at him. "Thank you." She flipped through the book quickly, just to make sure it was what she was looking for, The book seemed to be at a crease and when she flipped it open to that part it she scanned the page. It was exactly what she was looking for. There was a prophecy on this whole making it better predicament. Buffy's eyes widened as she read the prophecy, more fully instead of quickly scanning it.

"She knew." She whispered in a daze as she came to the conclusion.

"Who knew what?" Spike asked beside her.

Buffy looked up sharply and saw that everyone had inched closer to her. She smiled at all the staring faces.

"Nothing." She assured them. She looked at Giles. "I'm going to go um, up to my room with this. I'll be right back." She did a quick scan of all the confused faces staring at her and quickly ran up to her room before anyone could ask.

"Well that was interesting." Gunn said quietly.

A/N: Yeah, yeah I know. Short chapter, plus the fact that I haven't updated in forever equals a lot of angry people. But Raises hands up in an innocent gesture I have had school and…. other things that have kept me from writing and I am UBER sorry! I will be writing in full force though this coming summer, because of the no more school. So yay for you and me because you get to read my wonderful stories, lol jk. But please review and tell me what you think! Thanks so very much for all the reviews and support through the long periods of non-updating.


	13. Little Black Book

Buffy sat on her bed, Indian style, with the book in her lap. Her eyes darted from word to word. With every word she became more shocked and more understanding as to what went on in this world.

The other Buffy knew of her future. She knew that she was going to be turned and that two years later people from an alternate universe would come and 'make it better'. The other Buffy's words floated into her brain, "You do what you have to do."

It was fate, and they all played a part in it. She still didn't understand what fate had required her to give up her life. What was the cause? Why did the other Buffy need to die like that?

_Because two worlds cannot be the same. _Came an answer in her head. But that was not good enough. It wasn't as if there was an apocalypse that needed her sacrificing. She was killed by Spike for god's sake, that was not sacrificial. It wasn't for the world.

She flipped to the third page of the chapter and continued reading. It didn't really go into perfect detail. It was kind of vague. It spoke of people coming to 'make it better' and that's it. She continued reading.

She found a passage about the fight with oneself for freedom and to defeat the beast within. It also said that this was another way of doing things, something along the lines of that she figured. The words were old and the paper was crumbled so it didn't make a lot of sense.

She flipped through the other pages hoping to find something more recent or a little more helpful when there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in." She said lightly.

She closed the book and put her head in her hands. She closed her eyes and turned around expecting to see Dawn, Willow, Giles or Angel.

She almost jumped up when she saw him. "Not expecting me, luv?" He asked cocking his head to the side.

Buffy gave a small smile. "I guess not."

"Buffy, I-."

She stopped him. Ever since she had found out Spike was the one who had turned her she had imagined this conversation. She had replayed it over and over in her head. She really didn't want to have it now.

"No, Buffy there are some things I have to say." He told her.

Buffy sighed and nodded. He continued, "I would never hurt you."

Buffy nodded and started to speak. "Let me finish?" He asked.

She nodded and he continued. "I needed you to know that. I don't want you to think that, back then I was an idiot and when Dru came-."

It was now Buffy's turn to speak. "Yeah I know that." Her face softened and she stood up. "That was a different you. You have a soul now, not only a chip."

Spike nodded and walked over to her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was back."

"You had things you needed to get through and you didn't want to tell me over the phone, I get that." She said and nodded.

He nodded and smiled at her. "You're cookie dough eh?"

Buffy smirked at the reference.

He looked down. "Back with Angel."

She looked up at him. "Spike, I-."

"No." He said looking back at her. "I understand. He's your soul mate Buffy. Even I can see that. I'm fine just being friends with you. I care about you Buffy, I'm not going to lie, but I'm here for you. As a friend."

She nodded. "Thank you."

He was going to say something else but he stopped. He gave her a smile and then walked out.

She stared out the heavily draped window, a million things running through her head. At some point her eyes drifted down to the book again and she continued reading.

"How long has she been up there again?"

"Two hours twenty seven minutes and fifteen seconds."

Everyone in the lobby turned to Andrew who sheepishly pointed to the clock by the counter.

"What do you think she's doing?" Dawn asked.

Gunn shook his head. "My guess, nothing. She might have just needed to get away from all of you staring at her like she's going to explode. It doesn't help it that there is a vamp with her face but now you guys are backing off?

Willow shook her head. "No, I think you've got it wrong, mister. We're here for her. I mean I know exactly what she's going through I've had an encounter with a vampire that looked like me from an alternate universe."

"Have you had the fate of two worlds on your shoulders?" Gunn asked.

"Well no, but-." Willow paused. "Hey, what exactly is your point? You really don't know her, I'm her best friend!"

Gunn put his hands up. "I just was stating something."

Willow shook her head. "If something was bothering her and she needed to talk we would be there for her, I mean we've always been there for her."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "If my memory serves me correctly, what happened right before you closed the hellmouth?"

"That was nothing! We were just, well we needed to,-." Willow started and Dawn shook her head.

"We kicked her out." She said.

"You what?" Angel asked.

"We kicked her out." Xander said.

"Guys!" Willow said starting to get annoyed. "That was different, this is different. We're here for her now okay?"

Everyone nodded and grumbled.

"So, what do you think is in that book?" Andrew asked, fidgeting.

Buffy was never really into reading. When it came to the research thing that was her friends forte. She was more the, 'find what I'm looking for and I'll go kill it' sort of person. But there was something about this book that made her want to keep reading. Which was weird. But she knew that this was a book that she had to read for herself and she really didn't want anyone else reading it. It was something she needed to do alone.

After reading another chapter Buffy remembered something. Lorne had given her a piece of paper when she had sung for him. She fished through her pockets and found a folded piece of paper. When she unfolded it, she found an address on it. From her knowledge of L.A, she remembered that it was a club and bar just a little down from where Caritas was.

She walked down the steps leading down to the lobby and saw all of her friends sitting around waiting for her.

"Ah, the hermit emerges." Xander said. "What news do you bring us from the land of mysterious black books?"

Buffy smiled and looked at Faith. "How long has it been since you've been to a club?"

Faith shrugged. "A couple years, why?"

Buffy shrugged. "I figure we can all use some loosening up, and you know there might be informants or something."

Dawn stared at Buffy. "Are you serious? All of us, at a club…?"

"We have shopped for the occasion." Cordelia said.

"Good we'll go in an hour. The sun should be down by then." Buffy nodded at the group and went upstairs to get changed.

The club was dirty and filled with demons and it reminded Buffy of the Fish Tank down in docktown. The only thing was it didn't smell like fish, thank god for small favors.

"Are you sure this is the kind of club you wanted to go to, Buffy?" Dawn asked.

Buffy, who was in a daze while she tried to find exactly what Lorne wanted to show her, turned back to Dawn and shook her head trying to clear it. "Yeah." She said finally. She pointed to a chair in the corner by a table. "Sit there."

She turned around to the Willows. "Can you sit with her?"

Both Willows nodded and went to grab chairs. Dawn grumbled something about not being a kid and being able to watch over her.

Giles and Giles and the Wesleys and Freds went over to a table close to the one Dawn and Willow were sitting at. Cordelia joined them, as did Xander and Andrew and the Gunns. Faith went of to go dance with a man and the Angels, Spike and Xander stood with Buffy. Buffy stared at Angel for a moment. Then she turned around and walked toward the back. If anything were going to be here it would be back there.

In the back there was a bunch of crates and cobwebs but then there was a sheet over a doorway. Curious Buffy pulled the sheet away to see what was behind it. There was a whole other room and in it girls were passed out in chairs and on the floor.

Buffy ran to go check on one and found no pulse. She looked around at the others and wondered if they were dead too.

"It's too late for them." A scruffy looking man in the corner said. He had grey hair and a beard and his clothes were wrinkled, as was the skin on his face. He looked at least seventy but she knew he was younger than that.

"What happened to them?" Buffy asked, noticing needle tracks on the girls arm and two pierce marks where she was sure a vampire had drained them.

"They OD and they were drained." The main said.

"On what?"

The man didn't answer the question. "Its leads you down to hell, if you od. For a while it just gives you memories, good ones. The vamps love it. It's intoxicating." He spit out the last sentence.

He got up and smiled for a second looking down at the girl. "So beautiful." He said. Then he shook his head. "She was my daughter." He closed the girl's eyes and went back into the chair.

"What else does it do?"

"Sometimes the vamps are knocked out by it, it stables them. That's when we get them." He shook his head and stared at the girl on the floor.

Buffy wandered in the back rooms for a while before returning to the group.

"Everyone ready?" She asked.

"Finally." Andrew said and hopped up and almost ran out the door. "That gagnar demon was giving me the creeps."

Dawn smirked and walked over to Buffy. "You okay?" She asked her big sister.

"Uh huh." Buffy said as she continued walking in the direction of the hotel.

"Well, it's just you seem kind of distracted…"

Buffy turned to Dawn. "I'm fine Dawnie, just a little tired. How about you? Are you okay?"

Dawn smiled. "I'm fine."

Buffy brushed hair away from Dawn's face. "I'm sorry you had to come here and see this."

Dawn shook her head. "It's okay Buffy, there's nothing you could have done about it. Besides I'm fine, its you I worry about, we all worry about."

Buffy smiled. "I know. But I'm okay, really."

"Okay." Dawn said.

"Should we go tease Andrew about the Gagnar now?"

"We shall."

When they got back to the Hyperion everyone but Spike voted sleep.

"I'm tired." Andrew whined.

"Me too." Buffy said and yawned.

"Yeah, who wouldn't be? You spent like five hours reading a mysterious little black book." Xander teased.

Buffy folded her arms and yawned. "Reading does make you sleepy."

"Finally we figured out the age old myth." Xander said and everyone turned to him. Had he attempted a joke…?

Buffy smiled at him. "Night everyone."

"Night." Everyone said.

A knock came at Buffy's door. Buffy, clad in a cami and pajama pants opened it. She saw Angel, in his usual black pants black shirt attire.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey."

"Come in." Buffy said and opened the door wider for him.

He went in and stood in her room and she sat down on the bed.

"What's up?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Peachy."

"Then, what's going on?" He motioned over to the book lying on the bureau.

"It's complicated." She told him.

"How? What is it? What's in the book?" Angel asked.

"A lot of things, I still haven't figured it out yet." Buffy said.

"Then let me help you."

His face softened and she got up and kissed him. "We can figure it out in the morning, but now sleep."

He nodded and walked to the door.

"Do you have to leave now?"

He turned around and shook his head. She got in bed and he lay next to her. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. He brushed the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. In a matter of minutes they were both asleep.

A/N: An update! And it wasn't months after the last one! Hopefully since its Summer I will be able to update more. Thank you so much for all of the reviews! Keep reviewing please they really help me update, believe it or not! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'll try to update soon!


	14. Sacrifice

For the third time since arriving in this world Buffy dreamed. She knew, somehow, what was going to happen beforehand. So when the other Buffy gave her a sad smile and told her it was time, she knew exactly what she was talking about.

"See you soon." She said and Buffy nodded.

Buffy woke up. She managed to get out of bed without waking Angel and then she changed. She went in her old pants pocket from that night and took out the needle and ejected the drug into her system.

She bit her lip and looked at Angel, regret showing in her eyes. There was nothing she could do, though. This was something she had to do, her destiny. She suddenly knew how the other Buffy felt.

"I love you." She whispered and walked out of the room and out of the hotel.

Buffy had had enough of Drusilla. She walked out of the warehouse they were staying and went out to wander the streets of L.A. She tried to shrug off the feeling that was pushing her in a direction, it seemed right though.

After about fifteen minutes of walking she found herself in an alleyway, she recognized it but brushed it off as she saw a figure standing in the shadows.

"You can come out you know…" She said and smiled as the figure walked into the light.

"Decided to come out now?"

Buffy nodded. "I think you know what I'm doing here."

Buffy shook her head. "Oh really? Have you come to try to fight me, avenge her death? Trust me when I say there is nothing you can do to make it better."

It was Buffy's turn to smile. "Oh, but that's what I'm here to do. And I can think of something."

Buffy took a crossbow from behind her and shot. The other Buffy dodged it and growled changing into a vampire. "Do we really need weapons?"

"No, but I needed to get started somehow." Buffy said and closed the distance between the two.

"You know, I know your style. Once upon a time it was our style so I should be able to know your every move."

Buffy nodded. "I'm counting on it."

The other Buffy launched at her but Buffy didn't move.

"If I knew it was going to be this easy I would've brought Drusilla." Buffy said she knocked Buffy to the ground.

Buffy got up and kicked the vampire, who stumbled and came forward with a couple of jabs to the face. Buffy felt her lip split and tasted blood in her mouth. Buffy knocked the vampire down with a punch, which she recovered quickly from and got up. She launched herself at Buffy again and rammed her into the wall.

Buffy gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. She head butted the vampire and came forward with a kick to the stomach. The vampire fell to the ground and Buffy came forward and slammed her fist into the vampires shoulder, dislocating it. The vampire grunted and threw Buffy off her into the brick wall.

Buffy saw black spots as her head slammed against the wall and she reached up to feel the back of her head, it was bleeding and a big gash was there.

When she looked up the vampire was there. She slammed her foot into Buffy's stomach and Buffy felt her ribs crack. The vampire grabbed her off the ground and threw her again. Buffy staggered to get up, but the vampire was there. Buffy grabbed Buffy's neck, cutting off the oxygen.

"You did good." The vampire told her and turned to the side to spit out blood. "It's going to be fun having two of us around."

Buffy stopped struggling against the vampire and closed her eyes. This was something that needed to happen. She remembered in the book it said that a great sacrifice had to be made for it to be how it once was. Buffy hoped that this worked and that it helped. She silently prayed to whatever god that was out there that her friends would be okay. She hoped they knew what to do. Buffy lowered her head toward the other Buffy's neck and bit her.

After a couple minutes and almost succeeding in draining the slayer, the vampire collapsed to the ground, as did Buffy. The drug, Orpheus, began to take effect.

A/N: Okay, Okay. I know. Short chapter and with a cliffhanger…But I will update soon. Really soon. I promise. Just, please review? Pretty please? Thanks!


	15. Welcome Home

**A/N:**** Umm...Surprise? Yeah, okay, before you all come at me with whatever your holding, I blame it all on, well I blame it on something. But for some reason I thought that this chapter needed to be the end and that I was taking my sweet time completing it until I said, ah what the hell, if this takes longer to write than expected, and trust me it's taking way longer than expected, than screw it. It's my story, and yes I feel so bad and I am so sorry but at least I updated, right? Because honestly I had no idea where I was going with this and I was just going to leave it until I came up with a half exceptable chapter and posted it. But honestly, I'm not like that. I care about all my stories, they are my babies. So go and read them and I'll be happy, they will help relieve this long gap between chapters, that I hope won't be long anymore. So, long story short. I'm sorry, go read everything else I've read, you'll probably enjoy it, sorry again, hope you like this chapter, please review! Thanks!**

Angel opened his eyes expecting to see Buffy curled up next to him. She wasn't. He pushed the covers off him and pulled a shirt over his head. She wasn't in the bathroom, the door was wide open and the light was off. He walked out into the hall and went down stairs.

Faith, Spike and Andrew were sitting by the counter. Andrew laid a card down and Faith snorted. "Bull."

Andrew grabbed the cards and said something about it being not fair that he was an honest person.

Faith turned around as she saw Angel. "You alright?" She asked.

He shook his head and went into the kitchen where the Willows and Freds were talking.

Willow smiled at him but he barely registered them.

Angel turned around and went downstairs. The Gunns, Wesleys, and Xanders were all talking. Gunn nodded toward Angel. Angel went upstairs. By then Angel and Cordelia had come from outside, it was still dark out. Giles and Giles walked out from the office and Dawn walked down the stairs. The Willows and Freds had come from the kitchen and were looking at Angel, worriedly.

Everyone else came into the lobby, who wasn't there before.

"Has anyone seen Buffy?" Angel asked.

Everyone shook his or her heads.

"She's not in her room?" Dawn asked, worriedly.

Before he could say something Willow walked over to Dawn. "She probably just went for a walk Dawnie."

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, a walk in a place where there's a vampire wearing her face and-." She shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

"Willow's right Dawn." Xander said. "Buffy's not stupid, she can take care of herself. I'm sure she's fine. No need to worry," He said giving her a smile.

"That's what you always say!" Dawn said. "I'm sure that's what they said to the other me when Buffy was taking care of herself and then she ended up a vampire."

"Dawn…" Giles said gently.

"No, you know its true. Buffy does things to save the world, stupid things. And there's a vampire out there with her face and a world that needs saving. I'm thinking that that walk is not a walk, it's a death march."

Everyone was silent for a moment and still. The only one who moved was Andrew and he squirmed.

A bursting through the door interrupted the silence. Lorne ran in and looked around for a second. He jumped back when he saw them all there in the lobby. "Whoa there are a lot of you."

He shook his head and sighed. "Angel, where's Angel?" He asked almost frantic.

Both Angels stepped forward. He shook his head. "My Angel." Then he shook his head again. "Nevermind, both of you." He ran out the door.

Gunn sighed. "It all happens at night doesn't it?"

Angel and Angel followed Lorne. Xander moved suddenly and everyone jumped. "I'm not going to sit here waiting."

"Me neither." Said Spike who got up from where he was sitting and followed Xander out the door.

Dawn ran after them and Willow ran after Dawn. Xander followed them, as did Giles. Cordelia ran out too and Gunn and Fred went with her.

That left Faith, Andrew, Wesley, Fred and Gunn. Faith left a couple moments after Cordelia, Gunn and Fred did.

Andrew squirmed. "Are we going to go too?"

Gunn stood up, as did Fred and Wesley and went out the door. Andrew ran after them.

The Hyperion was quiet once again.

The Angels ran after Lorne and Lorne led them to an alleyway.

"What's going on Lorne?" Angel asked stepping into the alley.

Lorne looked grim and nodded over to the end of the alley. Angel took a step in and the other Angel followed.

"Buffy?" Angel said as he saw the slayer on the ground next to another figure. It was the other Buffy, the vampire.

He cradled her in his arms. When he looked down he noticed blood. The vampire had bit her. He checked her pulse; she was still alive, but barely.

"What happened?" Angel asked looking at the other Buffy on the ground.

"I don't know." Angel said distractedly.

Just then Xander came into the alleyway followed by Spike.

"What happened?" Xander said looking between both Angels.

"We don't know." Angel said and scooped Buffy up.

"Where are you going?" Spike asked turning around.

"Back to the hotel." Angel said. He looked at his other self. "Bring her too." He said, motioning to the other Buffy.

Spike grabbed the vampire and followed Angel, who walked determined toward the hotel. Everyone followed him, like following him like he was their general into battle. Their faces were all grim and determined.

Buffy woke up in a bed. She almost thought that it hadn't worked but when she saw the face looming over her, she knew it had.

"Great your up." Said the other her. Her vampire self folded her arms and frowned. "What the hell did you do?"

"Orpheus is a bitch ain't it?" A voice said from a doorway. Buffy turned to see a third her walk toward her vampire doppelganger. "I've been meaning to face you for a long time." She said.

Buffy got out of bed and walked toward the two. "It worked." She said grimly.

The non-vampire Buffy turned to face her. "Yes, it worked."

Vampire-Buffy rolled her eyes. "Where the hell are we?"

"Sunnydale." The other Buffy replied, and then she grinned at the both of them. "Welcome back."

Murphy's law says that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Xander Harris pretty much lives by that saying now days.


End file.
